Six Questions to ask in Evaluating Secondary Sources:
1. What was the purpose of the study? Why was the information collected?
(The intent of a particular study may influence its findings.)
CONSIDER:
a) degree of precision reported
b) types of categories used
c) methods by which data is collected & reported
2. Who was responsible for collecting the information?
The reputation of the various information sources is critical
Did the person or organization have a vested interest in the outcome?
3. What information was actually collected?
4. When was the information collected?
Factors present at the time of information collection may influence the result (history effect)
Information becomes dated quickly
5. How was the information obtained?
at issue... size and nature of the sample
... response rates
... experimental procedures
... validation efforts
... questionnaire approach
... interview guides or protocols
... analytic methods used
6. How consistent is the information with other information?
Similar results from different sources >>>> confidence in the results!
