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Identify and Evaluate Sources

101 help to identify types of sources and evaluate them

Questions To Ask

Question the science presented in the literature. Errors can be found here:

Primary Sources

Methods

Were the correct methods used to measure the hypothesis?
Is the experiment replicable?
Was an appropriate sample size used?
What controls were used?
How were the samples chosen?

Discussion

Correlation is not Causation. Does A affect B or does B affect A?
Can the results be significant but not important?
Does the data support the conclusion?
What assumptions have been made?

Secondary Sources

Does the author miss important pieces of information that could contradict their point of view?
How does the source compare to similar sources?
Does the author distort the original meaning of the source?
Does the author identify any bias or assumptions?

Types of Bias

Identifying and Avoiding Bias in Research
What types of bias can occur in your methodology design.
The extent and consequences of p-hacking in science
What is p-hacking? Is it a big deal?

Activity

Read the methods section of the article below. What questions would you ask? How do you find the answer to these questions?

Characterization of yogurts made with milk solids nonfat by rheological behavior and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

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