MG5001 Engineering Communication

Sources for Research

Content created by Otago Polytechnic

Modified by Mark Schatzdorfer
Contents

1. What is research?
2. Evaluating sources
– Scholarly vs popular
3. Peer review system

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What is Research?
• Investigation
• Experimentation
• Testing
• Exploration
• Analysis
• Fact-finding
• Examination
• Inspecting
• Reviewing
• Assessing

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Evaluating Resources – Part 1
• Credibility – trustworthy source, author’s credentials, evidence of quality
control, known or respected authority, organisational support.
Goal: an authoritative source, a source that supplies some good evidence
that allows you to trust it.

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Evaluating Resources – Part 2
• Accuracy – up-to-date, factual, detailed, exact, comprehensive, audience
and purpose reflect intentions of completeness and accuracy.
Goal: a source that is correct today (not long ago), a source that gives the
whole truth.

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Evaluating Resources – Part 3
• Reasonableness – fair, balanced, objective, reasoned, no conflict of interest,
absence of fallacies or slanted tone.
Goal: a source that engages the subject thoughtfully and reasonably,
concerned with the truth.

• Support – listed sources (referencing), contact information, available

corroboration, claims supported, documentation supplied.
Goal: a source that provides convincing evidence for the claims made, a
source you can triangulate (find at least two other sources that support it).

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Scholarly Sources vs Popular Sources

• When researching you should aim to use sources that are ‘scholarly’
rather than ‘popular’.
• The higher the level of your research (certificate, diploma, degree)
the more your resources need to be scholarly.

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Characteristics of a Scholarly Source

• Written by experts for the purpose of research

• Focus on a particular field, topic, or discipline
• Intended for others in that field or career
• “Proper” language, technical vocabulary
• No ads
• Often available through library databases.

* Journals are scholarly

http://www.ulm.edu/~lowe/basicresearchskills.pptx 8
Characteristics of a Popular Source

• Written by journalists usually for the general population

• Usually cover broad topics, fields, issues, or disciplines
• Purpose is entertainment, basic information or news delivery
• Everyday language, slang, even profanity
• Lots of ads
• Not research oriented

* Magazines and newspapers are popular

http://www.ulm.edu/~lowe/basicresearchskills.pptx 9
Peer Review System

• ‘A process by which something

proposed (for research or
publication) is evaluated by a
group of experts in the
appropriate field’
(Merriam-Webster dictionary)

• Different journals and

organisations may use different
processes.
• Graphic to the right is one
example method.

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