For this course memorize and think about the following:

Assess reliability

  • Check how scholarly the paper is. To inform not to persuade should be the main purpose.
  • Check how accurate, complete and unbiased the information of the paper is. Compare the content to other sources.
  • Check, if the paper is taken status quo and existing evidence into account. Look at the papers references and compare it with other sources.
  • Check the expertise of authors and publishing organisations. Look at their education, experience, and standing in the scientific community.
  • Check how up to date the paper is. Proof, if there are more recent findings, and/or if the paper states the original argument. The original (older) source is more valuable than secondary sources.


            To ensure reliability academic writing contains

            1. Direct quotes

            Authors use someone‘s text (or image, chart, table etc.) word- for-word, staging the source and original author. They indicate where the original text starts and ends by enclosing the quoted section in quotation marks. They add a reference at the end of the quote.

            2. Paraphrases

            Authors take a statement, idea or text of somebody else and tell it in their own words. They acknowledge the original source by using a reference at the end of the paraphrased session.

            3. Summaries

            Authors describe the basic idea of a piece of work in their own words. They state the original source of the summarised ideas. 

            (this section was prepared by Lisa Haeberlein)



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