Evaluating your results
Critically evaluating your search results is important. Are your sources authoritative, current, and scholarly? Do they address your research question? Do they fulfill the required assignment?
Once you have compiled a list of journal articles and/or books, how do you determine what is worth reading and using? Professional research can be evaluated for relative value and quality according to the following set of criteria:
Authority
- What are the credentials of the authors?
- With what institution(s) are they affiliated?
- Who sponsored the research? Is bias likely?
- Is the topic controversial? Do you have balanced coverage of different viewpoints?
Publisher
- What journal/publisher published the article/book?
- Is the journal/publisher well known and respected?
- Was the manuscript peer-reviewed? (Information about reviewers is often provided in the publication.)
Scope
- Is the scope of the publication general or specific?
- Does the scope fit with your information needs?
Research Methodology
- Is the research model appropriate for your information needs (i.e. case studies vs. clinical trials vs. reviews, etc.)?
- How was the data collected?
- Is the research design sound?
- Are the results of the study statistically significant? Are the results applicable to your patient?
Currency
- Is the material current?
- If it is old, is it still relevant?