Source Credibility and Cross-Referencing
The credibility of a source is an important factor to consider in preparing a research paper. Therefore, it is important that a researcher knows how to figure out ways to determine a source’s credibility.
One can look into different variables that may directly or indirectly affect the credibility of a source. These variables could either be one or all of the following: The author, the source’s date of publication, the thesis statement being pointed out by the paper and the type of company or organization that spear-headed the publication. Generally, all that a researcher has to check if he is trying to determine a source’s credibility are these variables.
The most effective way to ensure that without having to go through every specifics but making sure that all these variables are touched is to make sure that the author is credible or is well-known in the field where you are writing a research paper for. The author’s purpose in writing his paper will also be of utmost importance. The date of publication also matters a lot; although its importance may also depend on the type of research paper being prepared. If it’s a historical research paper, then the publication date wouldn’t usually be important. Date of publication usually matters if the topic has something to do with a field that undergoes a lot of changes every year or even every month.
Cross Checking References
Checking for cross references can be very helpful at times, especially when the sources that a researcher could use are very scarce. A cross-referenced paper could be a very effective tool that other researchers may follow, should one decided to use another person’s study as a reference. It gives the reader that is most likely a researcher as well, the right direction. That way, looking for sources and information within and even outside the scope of your paper will be easier. Cross-referencing can also help improves the organization of information of a paper.
