Question and Explore

It allows for collecting both quantitative and qualitative data.

It restricts the study to either numerical or narrative data only.

It requires using only secondary sources of information.

It prevents researchers from making any hypotheses or predictions.

Tertiary sources

Quaternary sources

Secondary sources

Primary sources

Looking for areas that have not been explored or adequately addressed by existing studies.

Concentrating solely on literature that supports one's preconceived hypothesis.

Focusing on confirming the results of widely accepted theories and studies.

Replicating methodologies of seminal works without considering their relevance to current contexts.

They critically evaluate both supporting and conflicting evidence from various sources before drawing conclusions.

They rely primarily on anecdotal evidence that appears consistent with their expected outcomes.

They focus exclusively on quantitative data while disregarding qualitative insights.

They avoid citing works that may challenge or contradict their own findings.

Highly technical language

Relevance to the research topic

Lengthy publication pages

Dates within the past two years

It exclusively helps secure funding as trendier topics are often favored by grant agencies over others.

Trends allow researchers to focus only on popular subjects thus avoiding less significant areas of study completely.

Emerging trends should be identified so they can be avoided in order to maintain originality in future research proposals.

It aids in determining relevant and timely topics that may need further exploration or clarification through new studies.

The source's information directly relates to your research question.

The author has written multiple articles on various topics.

The source was published in a highly reputable journal.

The publication date is within the last five years.

The data comes exclusively from online sources

The data includes identifiable personal information about subjects

The data is cited properly

The data supports only one side of an argument

It receives media attention due to its groundbreaking nature in popular news outlets.

It integrates new findings while addressing potential limitations within its methodology.

It has been funded by prestigious grants ensuring ample resources for investigation.

It uses complex statistical analysis that demonstrates advanced technical expertise.

Publishing full names in reports

Sharing raw data with other researchers without permission

Collecting detailed personal histories

Assigning code numbers to participants' data