Choosing the Most Credible Source

In practice

This worked example is constructed for this course. A student needs evidence for the claim that four-day school weeks affect student achievement. Four sources turn up. Source one is a blog post by a parent describing her children's experience, with no data and no citations. Source two is a recent study in an education research journal, written by university researchers, with a methods section and a reference list. Source three is a report from an advocacy group that campaigns for four-day weeks; it cites real data but includes only studies that favor its position. Source four is a news article from five years ago summarizing an earlier study and quoting a superintendent. Evaluate in order. The blog has no authority on achievement data and no documentation; it might illustrate a family's experience but cannot support the claim. The journal study has relevant authority, current data and full documentation; it is the strongest evidence for the claim. The advocacy report has an agenda and omits contrary studies; it can be used with its slant identified, or its cited data traced back to the original studies. The news article is secondary and somewhat dated; it is useful for background and as a lead to the earlier study, which the student should find and read directly. The student builds the paragraph on the journal study, checks it against the original study the news article mentioned, and uses the parent's account, if at all, only as an illustration.