Download - Evaluate Your Research
Evaluate Your Research
Quality Check This lesson reviews what we have learned. It’s 7me to double check and make sure that your informa7on is current, factual, and authorita7ve Look over the informa7on that you have gathered and ask some ques7ons. • Who wrote it? • What is the scope? • Where was it published? • When was it wriFen? • How is the informa7on presented?
Who wrote that ar7cle? When looking at a peer-‐reviewed ar7cle you should see the author’s name, professional affilia7ons and academic creden7als. The informa7on does not always follow the same format. But, the informa7on about an author is important when determining the quality of the research ar7cle. You may also want to see if the author has wriFen addi7onal ar7cles on the topic. The author’s name can lead to addi7onal relevant informa7on.
Check the Reference List
A peer-‐reviewed ar7cle will have a lis7ng of cited references. Always check the references. The list can lead to other important informa7on. If you see a reference cited in many places, consult it. It may be very important to the topic you’re exploring.
Who wrote the book? Scholarly books you use should clearly indicate: • The author's or editor’s name • Author's academic creden7als • Author's professional affilia7ons.
Bibliographies and Notes As with journal ar7cles a book’s author consults many resources. The bibliography and notes found in a book can lead to addi7onal resources for your research. Books are amazing tools for indepth research on a topic.
Determine the Scope of a Publica7on
The scope is the extent or breadth of the subject maFer that a publica7on covers or to which it is relevant. The scope of a publica7on is usually defined at the beginning. For books it’s discussed in the introduc7on. For journal ar7cles the scope is found in the introduc7on or the abstract.
Scoping Out Relevancy The author’s inten7on and methodology are clearly stated in the abstract. He is researching the importance of “historical reenactment” and believes that “reenactments have the poten7al to create more open ended and contextual historical commemora7ons.”
Looking for Bias Everyone has their par7cular viewpoint or bias. That’s important to know when doing research. Bias is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it is important to recognize that o[en authors are convinced that their point of view is the only one that maFers. The ar7cle presented here is in a magazine published by Chris7anity Today.
Checking Up on Bias
To determine bias look at the • The publisher’s informa7on • Author’s affilia7on • Date of publica7on Any of these can help determine the bias found in an ar7cle or book. Some7mes just the 7tle of the publica7on can tell you the bias.
Currency
The newer the be6er. It’s a good way to think about the informa7on you use in wri7ng your paper. In the sciences currency is paramount. Usually books which are over five years old are considered too old. In any field use the latest insights for your research. Be up-‐to-‐date!
Can you follow the evidence trail?
In evalua7ng your sources it is important to note how the informa7on is presented. • The abstract of an ar7cle should clearly
display aims, background, design and method, results, conclusions, and relevance.
• Cita7ons should be clearly marked throughout the publica7on.
• Conclusions and relevance of the research should be decidedly noted.
• References follow a standard academic format.
Next we’ll look at forma^ng your paper. In the academic world research papers must follow standards in format.
Do the student ac7vity for this lesson. A[er that proceed to the next lesson.