How to Appraise the Literature Sources for Dissertation

Appraising literature sources helps you assess their quality, relevance, and contribution to your research. This ensures that you build your dissertation on a strong foundation of reliable academic work.

Steps to Appraise Literature Sources:

1. Assess Credibility: Check the author’s qualifications, the journal’s impact factor, and whether the source is peer-reviewed.

2. Evaluate Relevance: Does the source address your dissertation topic directly? Does it fill gaps or support your hypothesis?

3. Examine Methodology: In the case of empirical studies, assess whether the research design and data collection methods are valid and reliable.

4. Look for Bias: Consider the perspective of the author and check for potential bias, especially in controversial or politically charged topics.

5. Synthesize Findings: Compare the source to other literature on the same topic. How does it contribute to your understanding of the research area?

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