LDRS591, Unit 2, Activity 2.3

I chose Donata Christiane Nilsen’s (2012) article, “Building & Enhancing Interorganizational Relationship for Disaster Preparedness and Response Capacity: a Study of Community-based Organizations Serving Vulnerable Populations; a Focus on the Homeless.” The article can be found here: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5tp4f30n

The following is my assessment of Nilsen’s (2012) article:

1. Authority – At the time of its writing, the author, Donata Christiane Nilsen, was a Doctor of Public Health candidate in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley. This study was completed as a dissertation in requirements for her degree and was overseen by a committee of professors from the university. Although her university provides Nilsen a level of authority, a quick Google search reveals little of her credentials, past writing experience, and expertise.
2. Currency – The article was published in 2012, which meets the rule of utilizing current sources that date back no longer than 10 years.
3. Purpose – As stated, the article was written for the completion of Nilsen’s Doctor of Public Health degree. The dissertation’s audience was Nilson’s educators in the university, but Nilsen (2012) also states the purpose of her study was to explore “the relationship between the number and types of interorganizational relationships that [community-based organizations (“CBOs”)] use to serve clients” (p.1). This suggests its intention for a public audience amongst the non-profit sector, and reinforces the research she conducted through surveys and interviews for findings. The tone and language of the article suggests the author’s impartiality as it speaks of its findings and research methods rather than anecdotal stories.
4. Content: This research article communicates a research question, research method, results, and answers the research question. It is backed by 6.5 pages of references, and appendixes that exemplify the research questions and resources used. This suggests a well-structured and research-based study.
5. Publication Type/Process: Though Berkeley University is a reputable university, the article was published by a university press and not a large publisher. Despite that, the source is peer-reviewed.
6. Bias and Special Interests: There are no obvious biases, but as Nilsen is seeking a Doctoral in Public Health, there may be biases towards the selection of organizations selected to participate in the study and the concluding benefits of interorganizationial relationships with CBOs.

References

Nilsen, D. C. (2012). Building & Enhancing Interorganizational Relationships for Disaster Preparedness and Response Capacity: a Study of Community-based Organizations Serving Vulnerable Populations: a Focus on the Homeless.