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STS 200: Conceptualizing STS Theories and Practice

Key Questions for Strategic Reading

Not all articles will use these exact subheadings, however these questions can still be used to focus your reading.

Article Section Key Questions
Abstract
  • What is the objective of the study or article?
  • What results or conclusions are presented in the abstract?
Introduction
  • What issues does the author seem to be concerned about?
  • What is the gap in previous research that the authors are addressing with this study?
  • Does the author(s) introduce theory?
Methods
  • How does the author test their hypothesis or conduct their analysis?
  • What data or evidence was collected? How is it used?
Results
  • What were the major findings or conclusions of the article?
  • Are the main findings expected?
Discussion
  • Does the article meet its objectives?
  • Does the author address the problems or limitations of their research methods?
  • What does the author suggest as future research?

Selecting Sources

Quick Tips

  1. Read the abstract. How does this align with your questions?
  2. Who is the author or creator? Is their discipline the same or adjacent to yours?
  3. What type of source is this? Does this align with your research needs?
  4. Is the information current for your topic?
  5. Does the information seem accurate and unbiased? 

Evaluation Criteria

Relevancy
  • How well does the source address your information needs? 
  • Does the source provide you with new information or perspectives, or confirm or refute other sources? 

Author Expertise & Discipline 

 
  • What is their educational background, training, past writings, lived experiences?
  • Does the topic align with the author's expertise? 
  • Is the source written using a specific disciplinary approach? Does the source align with the disciplinary perspective of your research? 
  • Has this author been discussed in class, or are they on your syllabus? Have you noticed this author's name cited in other sources? 
  • Is the author associated with a organization or institution? What are the basic goals or mission of the organization or institution? 

Source Type
  • What is the goal of the source?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • What is the editorial or peer-review process? 

Currency & Publication Date
  • Does the source reflect current scholarship and knowledge? 
  • When was the research conducted? When was it published? 
    • Note, some topics will require the use of older materials. What makes sense for your topic and discipline? 

Evidence, Objectivity & Bias
  • Does the author present compelling evidence? How robust is the evidence? Is the research design clear? 
  • Does the author present logically sound conclusions or do they veer into opinion? 
  • Does the author avoid over-simplifying or over-generalizing? 
  • What sources does the author cite? Check the references.
  • Do other researcher's trust this source? Are they using this source in their own research? (See Research Impact & Impact Metrics)