Mira Blakey
GEN/200
16 May 2012
Ms. Bunke
Personal Responsibility Essay: Research and Organization
The way that I would determine if the sources are reliable and relevant is by verifying the author. I would select at least one document that has been peer reviewed. According to University of Phoenix University Library Interactive Tutorial (2012), “Peer reviewed documents have been reviewed by at least one expert before publication. It focuses on scholarly material and usually contains extensive discussion of: research methods used by the author; substantial statistical analysis; extensive list of works cited at the end of the article or text”. The fact that an expert has reviewed the data would give me an acceptance of the information that has been published. When documents are peer reviewed it would decrease the chances of the author being able to successfully convey any sort of bias or slant on the information submitted.
A comparison of information by multiple authors on the same subject would also be an avenue to obtain validity. If the information has been sited consistently by more than one author, I would be more inclined to believe it. A probe into the facts would also be an option. One could gather information from reputable publications to confirm or dispute findings. The information obtained should be current. If statistical data is available, it could substantiate accuracy and relevancy. The date of the publication is also a factor. As technology and science advances the findings ten years ago may not be relevant today.
Just because information is posted on the internet does not mean that it is credible. An aggressive pursuit for truth must be used prior to submitting it as factual. The use of the University of Phoenix library would be a credible source.
This information might strengthen my essay by requiring me to validate all sources