Create a new blog post, and describe what sources of information you will use the most to conduct research on your topic. How will you evaluate these sources to make sure they are credible and reliable sources of information?

Most likely, I will use journal articles and books for my research topic. Further, if I can find other online sources that are credible and reliable then I will use them as well. There are many people “discussing” my research topic but not as many people actually researching and writing about it. The book I mention in my learning activity 2.4, though somewhat outdated, provides a good foundation for connecting faith and our social responsibility. I am looking forward to finding more books similar to this that are more current, as I have only found a couple so far.

That said, journal articles may be the largest source for me as I believe this topic is becoming more popular among millennials (like me!). Scholars have been writing about our responsibility as Christians to care for the environment for quite a while, however, it is just recently becoming more trendy and spoken about among common churchgoers.

I will evaluate sources based on their experience, credentials and research. Likewise, with journal articles, I will rely on those that are peer-reviewed, because, as I mentioned, many people are writing and blogging about this topic. I am looking specifically for authors that can adequately connect faith and social responsibility, and why there is a disconnect there. Most likely, authors with a background in religious studies who have peer-reviewed work will be my focus. I will look to determine how recent their work is, particularly when it comes to the topic of social responsibility. I will also look for underlying assumptions or biases that an author may hold by finding out their background, or by determining their source of information. Finally, because there is an element of “consumerism” within my topic, I will also try to find authors with some knowledge or background in economics that can speak to this idea credibly.

Unit 2 Learning Activities