05/17/2022

Spotting Credible Sources
Introduction
The credibility of a research project is an essential requirement for the researcher. This is because it helps build a good reputation for research projects done. To archive credibility, the author must make sure that they use trusted sources in making references. Readers will consider any future publications by the same author trustworthy as they will have evidence based on what they previously read. In light of this, there are several criteria one can use to identify a credible source, including CRAAP, which stands for, Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose.
Currency is a determining factor in how credible a source is. Depending on the research topic, an author must make references from acceptable sources in that period. Additionally, the sources should be relevant to the research in that the issue discussed goes hand in hand with the research topic. The authority in the source helps determine the level of credibility. As discussed in the first paragraph, an author is used to determine whether or not a source is credible based on its reputation. For instance, an accredited university source may be considered more relevant than an individual author source.
The accuracy of the source needs to be determined. It is done by checking whether or not the source is backed up by evidence. If so, are the sources cited correctly? Correct citations include checking whether proper guidelines for citation have been adhered to. On purpose, one has to ask themselves whether the source is free from biasness. One must check that the author is free from any conflict of interest that may make them impartial in their articles.

CRITIQUING RESEARCH ARTICLES

Introduction
The Critiquing Research Articles document is relevant to a reader, possibly in the research field that need additional knowledge on guidelines in how the critique research articles. Critiquing research articles help researchers objectively analyze the piece and see whether it is relevant to the practice. The document is a secondary source as the author uses academic journals for reference. Using academic journals has increased the document’s credibility as the scholarly journal is termed one of the most credible sources.
Additionally, the document’s currency is checked off as it contains up-to-date information that is useful in research article critique. Current references like Ryan, F, Coughlan, M & Cronin, P 2007, ‘Step-by-step guide to critiquing research, is used to derive evidence of sources whose findings can be used in the contemporary world. The author appears like an expert in the field because the text is very detailed, not vague. In this case, the author’s credibility cannot be questioned as the document is linked to Flinders University, a certified high academic educational institution.
The evidence provided on the sources used appears relevant and worth trusting. Therefore, the information provided in the document is accurate to the best of my knowledge. There is no bias as multiple perspectives are offered reasonably without the author leaning more toward one dimension; for instance, the author gave several sections in the article that equally require critiquing, such as the introduction and literature review. In addition, there is a way to contact the author, which shows credibility because one can clarify what has previously been written.

Background for Evaluating Research Reports

Introduction.
Background for Evaluating Research Reports document is a secondary source as it makes reference to other materials including empirical results. It is free from bias as it does not take sides while addressing different research evaluation guidelines. “It is safe to assume that all methods of observation or measurement are flawed to some extent.” From this statement, we see that the author has maintained a neutral ground on the different types of methods of measurement.

The document is relevant to persons carrying out research in communities as it gives a background on how to evaluate research reports. Research is majorly conducted to solve an existing problem in society; the evaluation guidelines need to be up to date. This is evident as the document uses recent sources as seen in the references, for instance, Morgan, R. E., & Jasinski, J. L. (2017).
Ideas have been drawn from different sources to support statements in the text; hence the author has used the APA citation style with correct citation as per the APA guidelines. The document’s purpose is shown in its design as helping research evaluators gain more knowledge on how to evaluate research reports and does not leave any omissions that might cause bias to the reader. Other sources used to support this document text are credible. The author has majorly used academic journals, such as the Journal of Family Psychology, which is considered one of the most credible sources.