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Impact Factor/Predatory Journals

IMPACT FACTOR

The impact factor (IF) is a measure of the frequency with which the average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year.  It is used to measure the importance or rank of a journal by calculating the times its articles are cited.​​

PREDATORY JOURNALS

Predatory Open-Access Publishing is an exploitive open-access academic publishing business model that involves charging publication fees to authors without providing the editorial and publishing services and rigor associated with legitimate journals.  The idea that they are "predatory" is based on the view that academics are tricked into publishing with them, though some authors may be aware that the journal is poor quality or fraudulent. - Wikipedia. 
Information provided in the above links are the work on independent researchers and may not be completely accurate.  Use your own knowledge and best judgment to determine journal quality. 

Questions to ask of your research

  • Was the research well conducted?
  • Is the research question clearly stated?
  • Is there evidence of a clear search strategy of previous literature?
  • Is the study design appropriate?
  • Is it clear how the study population was sampled and is the sample representative?
  • How was the data collected?
  • What is the reliability and validity of the data collected?
  • Were confounding influences and biases considered?
  • Does the data justify the conclusions drawn?
  • Does the study add any new knowledge to the subject area?
  • Has the word been published in a peer-reviewed journal?
  • Has the study obtained and followed ethical approvals and standards?
Fawkes C, Ward E, Carnes D. (2015).  What evidence is good evidence? A Masterclass in critical appraisal.  International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 18(2), 116-129. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijom.2015.01.002

 

 

Are your sources credible and useful? Don't fall into a T.R.A.A.P.

Don't Fall into a T.R.A.A.P.

How do you make sense of available information and know what to trust? You'll find many types of resources as you research, such as: books, articles, newspapers, and websites. It is crucial that you evaluate all resources for relevance and credibility. Use the T.R.A.A.P. criteria to evaluate the credibility of all sources. The following list is not static or complete. Criteria will be more or less important depending on your situation and the resource.
 

Timeliness: The timeliness of the information.

  • When was the information published or posted?
  • Has the information been revised or updated?
  • Is the information current or too out-of-date for my topic?
  • Are all the links functional or are there dead links?*
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
  • Does the information relate to my topic or answer my question?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too simple or advanced) for my needs?
  • Did I look at a variety of sources before deciding to use this one?
  • Would I be comfortable using this source for my college research paper?
Authority: The source of the information.
  • Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
  • Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
  • What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
  • What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
  • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
  • Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source (.com .edu .gov .org .net*)?
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information.
  • Where does the information come from?
  • Is the information supported by evidence?
  • Has the information been reviewed by anyone else?
  • Can I verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
  • Does the language or tone seem biased? Or is it free of emotion?
  • Are there spelling, grammar, typographical, or other errors?
Purpose: The reason the information exists.
  • What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
  • Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
  • Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
  • Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
  • Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
Key: * indicates criteria is for Web sources only
This is a modified version of a document created by Sarah Blakeslee at Meriam Library, CSU Chico.