Source strengths & weaknesses
Contributor: Logan Miller
With the Internet’s ever-expanding repository of information, appraising potential sources has become an increasingly important skill. Evaluating strengths and weaknesses can be a useful tactic to assess potential sources.
What is the research question?
Strength:
The research question defines the population to be investigated, interventions or exposures, and outcomes.
Weakness:
The population is too broad, too narrow, or specific characteristics are too vague such that possible findings will be inconclusive.
Was the study design appropriate for the research question?
Strength:
The researchers chose to study the data over several years to ensure accuracy of the results for the selected population.
Weakness:
The researchers collected observational data when experimental data could have produced stronger support for their hypothesis.
Did the study address potential sources of bias?
Strength:
The study asserts that the members of the sample were chosen randomly, ensuring they are representative of the population.
Weakness:
The study design contains a potential for the above selection bias, but the researchers didn’t address this potential in the study.
Was the study performed according to the original design?
Strength:
The study followed the design and reported this how they followed the design.
Weakness:
The researchers were unable to recruit the desired number of participants, reducing their ability to produce significant findings or answer the research question.
Do the data justify the conclusions?
Strength:
The study accurately reports the statistical significance of the data without suggesting a cause and effect relationship between exposures and outcomes.
Weakness:
The researchers misinterpret a statistically significant correlation between the exposures and outcomes as a cause and effect relationship.
Are there any conflicts of interest?
Strength:
While a party that might want to see specific findings funded the study, the researchers disclose that the party had no input into the study.
Weakness:
The researchers offer no disclosure on what input the funding party did or didn’t have into the study.