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ation? What are the qualifications that suggest that the information produced has
been produced using sanctioned methodologies and based on a systematic review
of previous research in the field?
If this is research, does the researcher have a doctorate in the field? What is
the sponsoring institution—a university, think tank, or other organization? If it is a
reputable research university, one can be reasonably certain that the research is
solid, because faculty members are submitted to careful scrutiny when they are
hired, and they are evaluated each year until tenure is granted, usually following
the sixth year of service. The department or school has ascertained that the re-
searcher is qualified to conduct the research and that his work reflects the domin-
ant paradigm in the field.
If the sponsoring institution is not a university, the researcher(s) may reflect the
paradigm that the organization is promoting. The organization's Web site, annu-
al reports, and other publications can be studied to determine the purpose of the
organization; its values will be stated or apparent upon examination of these doc-
uments.
Another question to address is the quality of the research. Are the research
questions appropriate for the study? Are the methodologies appropriate and prop-
erly applied? Is the analysis logical, and are the findings feasible? Are the findings
meaningful? Are they a significant contribution to the field?
Authority for more informal information sources can be more difficult to determ-
ine. Again, the important question to address is this: Who is responsible for this
information? Is it a professional organization? Who is the author, reporter, or oth-
er person responsible for creating the information? What are her qualifications?
What are the sources of the information reported—direct observations, interviews,
or other sources? Is the information current and accurate? Is the information un-
biased? Does the information add to the known information on this issue? If the
new information conflicts with other known sources, is the difference explained with
appropriate evidence to support it?
A difficult issue to address is the perspective of the reporter or author—is he or
she expressing a point of view or bias? If so, what is it? Perhaps the organization
that the reporter represents is a clue. Newspapers or other news organizations de-
velop a reputation for a bias or for more objective reporting. In recent years news
organizations have freely expressed their viewpoint, some engaging in polemics.
For example MSNBC makes no secret that it presents progressive views, while
Fox News is more conservative in its political orientation. Is it possible to determine
where the organization or the information lies on the political spectrum?
An effective means of assessing the authority is to determine the affiliation of
the author or reporter of the information. However, as noted in our discussion of the
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