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Research Essentials for the Social Sciences

Essential skills, resources and tools for research in social science disciplines.

Evaluating 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? 
  • Does the source address one or more of the BEAM elements related to your research question? 

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)
Impact Metrics

A number of metrics analyze citation counts, i.e. the number of times a source has been cited by other researchers. 

  • Web of Science Journal Impact Factor, is one of the first impact measurements.   
    • WoS indexes a smaller collection of higher quality journals; WoS will rank the journals included in its indexes. 
    • In WoS search results, click on the journal title to view the JIF and more information.
  • View author profiles and publications in Web of Science, Scopus, GoogleScholar, researcher/institutional websites
  • View article citation metrics; this doesn't equal consensus or quality, however may indicate an impact on subsequent research.

For more information see, Research Impact Metrics: University of Michigan Library.

Becker Medical Library Model for Assessment of Research Impact 

Below is a modified, abbreviated framework for tracking research outputs to locate indicators that demonstrate evidence of research impact.

Advancement of Knowledge

What was created by the research study?

How has the research output and activities been used? 

 
  • How does the study expand knowledge in a field?
    • Do the study findings represent a paradigm shift?
    • Lead to change in understanding a problem? 
  • Number of citations (cited by)
    • Has the study been referenced by other researchers?
    • What do the cited by sources represent? Countries, institutions, languages, subjects?
  • Is the study data available? 
  • Has the study Included in a subsequent research review (systematic review/ meta analysis?) 
  • Has the study been cited or noted as being an important work?
  • Was there any media buzz about this study? 
  • Was the research or researchers awarded prizes, as having a significant contribution? 

Community Benefit

How has community health been enhanced as a result of this research? 
  • Has the study changed public awareness or offers an intervention?
  • Is the study cited in materials that assist with healthcare decision making or in materials for patients or the public?
  • Can the study findings help to improve the standard of care? 

Clinical Implementation

Has the research been adopted in clinical activities or applications? 
  • Has the research been cited in a clinical decision guide?
  • Is the research being used in consumer health materials? 
  • Has the research resulted in a clinical guideline or point-of-care resource? 

Economic Benefit

What economic benefits were produced from result of research outputs and/or activities?
  • Does the research have an affect on cost savings pertaining to the effectiveness of resources?
  • Does the research aid in prevention or management of health risks?
  • Has the research resulted in an increase in quality of life or quality of healthcare services?
  • Does the research impact on life expectantly, morbidity, or mortality rates?
Legislation and Policy Enactment
 
How has the research influenced legislation or policy enactment? 
  • Has the research been cited or use in the development of policy or legislation, regulation? 
  • Have the researcher(s) been invited to serve on advisory boards or included in policy development?

Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine.

Using Sources

The BEAM model provides a framework for identifying how you might use a source in your own research. However, BEAM can also be used during the research process, for distilling a body of work, or identifying gaps (i.e. does one of the BEAM components need to be better addressed?)

BEAM model details: Background to present information and establish facts; Exhibit to explicate, interpret, analyze; Argument to affirm, dispute, refine, extend; and Method to provide a critical lens, key terms, theory, style, perspective and discourse