Critical appraisal of research materials and papers

What do we mean when we talk about critical appraisal of research materials? Is there a scientific way to choose the journal articles we use to write our assignments and papers? To take this problem further, how do we pick the right journal articles to find the right quotations to enhance our assignments? Is this an art or is it a science?

In postgrad programmes such as the one at the University of Leicester students learn to evaluate materials in their chosen field of study critically. New students in the programme quickly learn that there are arrays of books, journal articles and other materials available through Google alone (not Google Scholar) that may or may not be good source materials. How do you choose which sources to rely on?

Far from the actual physical university, distance learners may be tempted by sources such as Wikipedia rather than working their way through the databases available through the library at the University of Leicester. After all, Wikipedia and Google are easily available anywhere. Why bother to extend your research to more difficult sources when so many free journal articles are easily found at the touch of a button? Is there really a difference? Unfortunately, there is.

Many students aren't aware that the librarians at U of Leicester have provided a helpful guide for research with their bibliographic guide to different disciplines, called 'subject rooms'. This guide is available at:
http://rooms1.library.le.ac.uk/rooms/portal/
They may also not be aware that a librarian, Andrew Dunn, is available to help them at +44 (0)116 252 2055 or via ad158@le.ac.uk

In these 'subject rooms', you will find that the librarians have provided a bibliography of many important 'refereed journals', that is, journals where the articles are reviewed before publication by scholars who are experts in that field. By using the right materials from the start, students can begin to understand the value of strong critical arguments in good journal articles. In these journal articles the data supports the arguments and conclusions made in the paper. They adhere to a higher standard of scholarship than, for example, most newspaper articles, and they help students make effective arguments in their assignments. Additionally, these journal articles will point towards good future research with excellent bibliographic references for the student to follow up. Good refereed journal articles provide a wealth of materials to help the struggling student.

As you explore this wealth of materials, you will also find that many journal articles on a particular topic refer again and again to a number of the same books and articles. This is because, as I mentioned in another context, management scholars have studied the important works in their field. These works are well known to them. In fact, many of the ideas in their own work reflect, build upon, expand or otherwise engage with these important works. Students reading good journal articles will find references to these works throughout their readings.

You will find it easier to back up your arguments with the right quotations if you use the right journal articles. If you begin your research with good scholarly journals that are refereed, you will save yourself a lot of time and trouble. By using these source materials, you will find that your ability to evaluate an article with a logical, analytical argument will improve over time. You will see that a good scholar uses the right data to back up their arguments and conclusions. This will help you to do the same thing in your assignments.

Is this an art or a science? In fact, it's a bit of both. Journal articles, just like assignments, are about the use of critical thinking and argument, using data and language. This is the basis of the academic tradition, and is about both how we use language to express ourselves and evidence to support our arguments.