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Research Guides

WRR300: Strategic Writing in Business and the Professions

Evaluating information

You may start with a Wikipedia or a commercial website to get basic familiarity with a concept - but don't stop there.

Credible, appropriate sources will add great value to your conceptual design. How do you evaluate credibility? Follow the guidelines provided by your course instructors. So keep in mind RADAR (Rationale, Authority, Date, Accuracy, and Relevance) when researching:

RADAR (Rational, Authority, Date, Accuracy, Relevance)

Adapted from: Mandalios, J. (2013). RADAR: An approach for helping students evaluate Internet sources. Journal of Information Science, 39(4), 470–478. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165551513478889

Is the article or book going to be useful for Assignment?

Critical Questions when Reading: 

 

  1. Who is the author? 

  1. What is the author's central point or main argument? 

  1. What findings and conclusions are made? 

  1. What evidence is used to support the conclusions?  

  1. Is the evidence relevant? What methodology has the author used? What are the strengths and limitations? 

  1. Does the author make any assumptions? 

  1. What is not being said? 

  1. Is there any explicit or hidden bias? 

  1. How is the text relevant to YOUR project or assignment? 

  1. How does this link with other texts that you have read? 

 

Source: https://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/149/writing_a_literature_review_teaching_resources