Evaluate Your Research

Quality CheckThis lesson reviews what we have learned.

It’s time to double check and make sure that your information is current, factual, and authoritative

Look over the information that you have gathered and ask some questions.• Who wrote it?• What is the scope?• Where was it published?• When was it written?• How is the information presented?

Who wrote that article?When looking at a peer-reviewed article you should see the author’s name, professional affiliations and academic credentials.

The information does not always follow the same format. But, the information about an author is important when determining the quality of the research article.

You may also want to see if the author has written additional articles on the topic. The author’s name can lead to further information.

Check the Reference List

A peer-reviewed article will have a listing of cited references.

Always check the references. The list can lead to other important information.

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?Books you use should clearly indicate:• The author's or editor’s name• Author's academic credentials• Author's professional affiliations.

Bibliographies and Notes

As with journal articles a book’s author consults many resources.

The bibliography and notes found in a book can lead to additional resources for your research.

Books are amazing tools for in-depth research on a topic.

Determine the Scope of a Publication

The scope is the extent or breath of the subject matter that a publication covers or to which it is relevant.

The scope of a publication is usually defined at the beginning.

For books it’s discussed in the introduction.

For journal articles the scope can be read in the introduction or the abstract.

Scoping Out RelevancyIn this abstract the author’s intention and methodology are clearly stated in the abstract.

He is researching the importance of “historical reenactment” and believes that “reenactments have the potential to create more open ended and contextual historical commemorations.”

Looking for BiasEveryone has their particular 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 often authors are convinced that their point of view is the only one that matters.

The article presented here is in a magazine published by Christianity Today. It has a particular religious bias that may influence what the author writes.

Checking Up on Bias

To determine bias look at the • The publisher’s information• Author’s affiliation• Date of publication

Any of these can help determine the bias found in an article or book.

Sometimes just the title of the publication can tell you the bias.

Currency

The newer the better.

It’s a good way to think about the information you use in writing your paper.

In the sciences currency is paramount. Articles 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 evaluating your sources it is important to note how the information is presented. • The abstract of an article should clearly

display aims, background, design and method, results, conclusions, and relevance.

• Citations should be clearly marked throughout the publication.

• Conclusions and relevance of the research should be decidedly noted.

• References follow a standard academic format.

Next we’ll look at formatting your paper.