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Evaluating Research:
Publisher's Reputation

Each type of publisher has a specialty while within each category, the various publishers have different reputations. For example, one publisher might be known for quickly bringing books to publication in order to earn quick money. Other publishers specialize in well-researched academic publications. And other publishers specialize in a specific genre, region, or type of book.

Discussion

Dr. Steven L. Berg has published three annotated bibliographies in the field of substance abuse.

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listNALGAP Annotated Bibliograph: Lesbians, Gay Men, and Substance Abuse. (Ft. Wayne, IN: National Association of Lesbian and Gay Alcoholism Professionals, 1989)

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listJewish Alcoholism and Drug Addiction: An Annotated Bibliography. (Greenwood Press, 1993).

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listSpirituality and Addiction. (Wheeling, WV: Bishop of Books, 1993).

Although these books exhibit the same quality of research, Jewish Alcholism and Drug Addiction is the most credible of the three because of the reputation of the publisher: Greewood Press. The other two bibliographies were published by small presses that do not enjoy Greenwood Press' solid reputation. However, given that all of these books are more than 10 years old, none will reflect current information on their topics.

Special Notes on Web Pages

There are certain quality standards that are unique to web sites; standards that impact the reputation of the site. Credible web sites should:

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listbe free of factual, grammarical, and logical errors.

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listbe free of internal contraditions.

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listinclude citations or other bibliographic information.

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listbe clearly organized with no distracting graphics or animation.

Furthermore, credible web sites are:

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listgenerally free of advertising.

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listmost likely published by a college (.edu or .cc), non-profit organization (.org), government agency (.gov), or network(.net).

    blue bullet used to denote item in a listintended for a professional or educational audience.

Dr. Jeremy L. Hall has developed a rubric for Evaluating Web Page Content which we have published as Writing Fellows Handout #H010.


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This page was last updated on January 12, 2006
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