Introduction > Reviewing Literature > Where to Look for Information > Judging the Reliability

Judging the Reliability Papers/scientific journals Papers in published scientific journals usually represent the most trust-worthy and accurate source of information you can use. Each paper is peer-reviewed by at least two subject-specialists before being accepted for publication, so the likelihood of information being wrong is considerably reduced. The peer-review process isn't fool-proof though. Reviewers don't ask for the raw data, and don't re-analyse the results, they simply comment on the appropriateness of the data presented, as well as checking the structure and editorial content of the paper. This has led to peer-reviewed and published papers being retracted after allegations of false data were suggested. Recent cases include Sudbo et al (2005) and Hwang et al (2004). Conference proceedings Although conference proceedings are sometimes not peer-reviewed, the author(s) will have presented their work and had an opportunity for conference attendees to provide feedback. The work presented in conference proceedings is often submitted to scientific journals at a later date, or it may already be undergoing the peer-review process prior to publication. View the proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science. Dissertations Undergraduate and postgraduate student dissertations are graded and evaluated by the awarding University and also reviewed by external examiners. It's important to bear in mind that the quality of dissertations is highly variable so you should take this into account when you're referring to dissertations. Books Book quality is generally high, although the information may be out of date by the time the book is published! Remember that an author may be biased towards a particular way of thinking and the book may not present all aspects of a subject in an equal light. Internet As you no doubt know, you can find almost everything and anything by searching the Internet. Whilst Joe Bloggs' web site may have all the information you're looking for, can you really guarantee its quality and reliability? It's best to stick to web sites you know you can trust eg those of governing bodies, government, etc. If you're in doubt, cross-reference some of the information with another web site - is it correct? Occasionally, scientists take the unusual step of not publishing their ground-breaking work and release their results without the work being subjected to peer review. A heated debate about cold fusion was initiated when the researchers released their findings via a press conference, insisting that the scientific refereeing process was not suitable for their work, partly because in their opinion there were no suitable referees.

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