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Research 101

Evaluating

Usefulness

Before reviewing the questions below, select one of the following sources as most useful for a research paper on the current use of primates in scientific laboratories:

A. "Monkeys in our Labs," by Scott Gottieber, a USA Today staff writer. Published in USA Today Dec 15, 1989. Includes chart, "Number of Test Primates in the US, 1975-1985."

 

B. Laboratory Primate Advocacy Group website. LPAG is a nonprofit organization. Website last updated in 2001. "LPAG believes that the laboratory is no place for monkeys and nonhuman great apes."

  

C. "Better numbers on primate research," by Constance Holden. Published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Appeared in Science, a scholarly publication, on March 30, 2001.

When deciding whether or not an information source is useful in the context of your research, you should consider the following issues regarding content. Click on the linked term to the right of each issue for a set of activities that will clarify your understanding of each:

Are the goals for this publication clearly stated?
Is there a particular bias evident? Is the viewpoint of the author's affiliation reflected in the message or content? Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched?

Objectivity

Does this appear to be quality work?
Is the information well-organized? Has the author used good grammar? Are the graphics – images, tables, charts, diagrams – appropriate and clearly presented?

Quality

How does it cover your topic?
Is it comprehensive? an overview? highly detailed and narrowly-focused? Does the work update other sources?

Coverage

Does the work address your research question or meet the requirments of your assignment?
Is the content appropriate for your research topic or assignment?

Relevance
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