Critical Thinking Questions

Critical Thinking Questions Where research is involved, there are a number of sources available for gathering supplemental data. The best method in which to locate these materials is through the use of computer searches with the most popular and largest database being ERIC, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education (ERIC Program, n.d.). The advantages of a computer search of ERIC and other databases, as compared to other search methods include that computerized databases tend to cover a vast collection of education literature and provides links to full-text materials and the process of completing an computerized search is much faster than a manual search. ERIC indexes education-related materials from scholarly organizations,
76). The most valuable traits of secondary sources include that they provide an analysis or interpretation of the data presented in primary sources in a simplified form that is often more easily comprehended and they may also provide access to data from a past event or additional data that cannot be reproduced in a subsequent study. Meanwhile, secondary sources have major limitations in that a source 's interpretation of primary data may be inaccurate, the data may be general and vague, the sample that was utilized to produce the primary data may be unavailable for the secondary researcher to research and verify for accuracy, the primary source 's data being interpreted may be outdated, and there is a possibility that the author and publisher may not be trustworthy or
Entering annotations on summary cards to maximize their value and ease of use (Mertler & Charles, 2011). When researching sources of material, this process will work for me in the aspect that I will be able to determine the significance that the material has in relation to my research topic based upon factors which include the topic, purpose, and importance of the report as well as the type of report being read and its findings and conclusions (Mertler & Charles, 2011). In addition, after organizing my notes on each data source, I will be able to refer back to the source utilizing the bibliography that I will develop in order to complete my own research. When interpreting research reports it is pertinent to possess knowledge of the statistical terms and concepts that are being present in the content of the source. Knowledge of statistical terms and concepts enables a person to interpret research reports more accurately because it is necessary in order to determine what they mean to the person reviewing the research. When used properly, a person can interpret data as it pertains to the status of one or more groups, comparing groups, and establishing covarying relationships between two or more sets of measurements (Mertler & Charles,