Let's face it — there's a lot of information out there. It can be difficult to determine how to evaluate and appropriately use information.
When evaluating a resource, consider the assumptions of the author:
Let's look at an example. You are interested in writing a paper on the growing popularity of vegetarianism and its impact on the agricultural industry.
To make the process of evaluating authors' assumptions easier, please refer to this example of the kind of publications that might be helpful for this topic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Publication Title |
Vegetarian Times |
International Journal of Vegetable Science |
American Vegetable Grower |
|
Publication Type |
Popular Magazine |
Scientific Journal |
Trade Publication |
|
Audience |
General audience; author does not presume previous exposure to the topic |
Technical audience; author assumes extensive background and expertise in the area of agricultural science |
Farmers and growers; author assumes that audience will be interested in improving techniques, yields, and profits |
|
Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed |
No; no bibliographies |
Yes; will have bibliographies |
No; may or may not have bibliographies |
|
Author's Credentials |
Journalist |
Researcher or expert in the field |
Someone in the field (practitioner) |
