How can I know that I can trust what I am reading?
You can trust what you are reading in two simple steps:
Step 1. Enroll in LDRS591.
Step 2. Read Understanding research: A consumer’s guide.
In all seriousness, it is difficult for one to trust what they are reading and be 100 percent certain in the truthfulness or reliability. For example, I know I parked my truck outside my house, and it is likely it is still there. But, I cannot be 100% certain it is still there without physically seeing it or touching it. Even then, I cannot be 100% certain as one could argue my senses are deceiving me and the truck is in fact not where I believed I had parked it. However, when it comes to research there are some things one can do to increase the likelihood that the research studies they are reading can be trusted:
- Examine the authors of the study.
- How was the study published? Research the journal. Was it peer reviewed?
- Who funded the study?
- Are there any known biases?
- Use your mind – think critically and learn how to evaluate arguments and research methods.
How do I know the research has been performed competently?
Can I copy and paste my first answer?
Plano-Clark and Creswell, provide an excellent guide to evaluating research studies. I would pay close attention to the introduction and methods section. Did the authors choose an appropriate research design? How did they collect their data? How were participants selected? How was the data analyzed? These are just some of the questions I would ask myself insinuation with the tables provided by Clark and Creswell in Understanding Research: A consumer’s guide.
How do I know the research is reported honestly?
I don’t. I wasn’t there recording the answers. I haven’t seen the original surveys. But I can examine the method of the research. What research design was used and why was it chosen? Who were the participants and why were they chosen? Did the authors explain and justify their tools of analysis? These are just some of the questions one can ask when determining the reliability of a research study.
How do I know the findings presented are consistent with what other researchers would conclude?
Complete a literature review of the topic you are studying. Is that why are final assignment is a formal literature review? It is all making sense now! : )
Discussion Question:
We can all agree LDRS 591 will leave a lasting impression on our professional lives, but how has LDRS 591 affected your personal life? For example, have any long-held personal beliefs you thought to be true were being supported by faulty evidence or a lack of evidence altogether?
One final question. How many times did you spell “Learning Activity” incorrectly as your prepared your blog posts? I’ll confess it was a 50/50 chance I would type “LEArning Atvity.”
I literally laughed out loud when reading your second question. The answer is too many times… “Laernign Activity”. To answer your first: While I haven’t experienced any life shattering worldview crushing awakenings in the research process, I have been reminded to assess bias and validity with more scrutiny and have been challenged to provided research through action research plans, etc, rather than just be a reader of research. I feel that through this course my mind has been opened to the possibility of providing research in areas of interest that the peer community might be lacking.
Thank you for your sense of humor here Joshua. I enjoyed reading your post. I laughed often.
I’m glad to see that you have made the connection between what we have been learning about, what you have been asked to do in this course, and how to this course applies to your own life.
You have posed a great question for your colleagues!
Dr. Strong