Qualitative Research Vs Popular Sources

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When conducting any type of research it is imperative that you become knowledgeable with the sources in which you are gathering your information from. Authoritative works and popular outlets are commonly found resources by researchers but they are different in how they present their information and feature many differences when it comes to credibility and validity of said information. In addition to the presentation of the information, the appearance of the source also has major differences from the publishers, authors, and the visual representations that make up the source. As we look over both of these types of works it is important to understand both have their advantages and disadvantages as it comes to the reliability of information and …show more content…

Where a popular magazine may feature fewer than 10 articles and other supporting features, a typical authoritative source such as the NCHRP Research Report 844: Guide for Integrating Goods and Services Movement by Commercial Vehicles in Smart Growth Environments will contain over hundreds of pages of articles, reports, and data that are specific and detailed as a subject knowledge matter expert could form (NCHRP Research Report 844). This is supported and frequently addressed due to the fact that academic writers and researchers with proper credibility are behind these sources and know the importance behind the information and what needs to be …show more content…

In the ACRP Research Report 165: Tracking Alternative Jet Fuel, the first 5 pages are solely dedicated to express and validate the resources used to build the report and the authors’ who’s research is represented throughout in the hundreds of pages that make up the source (ACRP Research Report 165). This puts all the credibility up front before you get the opportunity to see any information and by the time you are exposed to any knowledge you are already aware that the writers of the articles and information are specialized in the works they are producing. In addition to the authors it also includes an emphasis on the publishing group or academic university that is releasing all this knowledge for public use. Again, by the inclusion of this information up front it continues to build upon the credibility and validity of the source which is ultimately an important interest for anyone looking to use the sources for