Academic Writing--Discussion of Research Protocol

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When discerning research protocol, there are three areas to consider:

1. Discussion of sources (print and electronic):

• Books

• Scholarly/professional journals

• Newspapers/news magazines

• Popular magazines

• Niche publications.

2. Determining the authority and credibility of the author.

Important questions to consider:

• Who is the author?

• What are his/her credentials?

• Is the author writing from his/her position of authority within his/her specified field of expertise?

• Does the author have an agenda, for example, is he/she a paid spokesperson for a commercial or even a non-profit enterprise?

3. Determining the authority and credibility, objectivity, currency, coverage, and reputation of the publication.

Important questions to consider:

• What is the reputation of the publication?

• How long has the publication been in business? (In websites, the age of the site and the domain name can be important indicators of credibility.)

• What is its slant or political viewpoint?

• Are its articles well-written and presented in an objective manner?

• How important is extremely current information to the readers of this publication? How current are its articles and information in general?

• Is this a niche publication? If so, what is its focus?

• How thoroughly does the publication cover its topics?

• How relevant is the publication to YOUR topic?

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