Evaluating the Sources of Information You Use Chapter Notes | AP Research – AP Students - Grade 11 PDF Download

Introduction

This chapter guides students through the process of gathering and organizing information for their AP Research project. It emphasizes the importance of using primary and secondary sources, leveraging reliable databases like EBSCO, and employing tools such as Boolean operators to refine searches. The chapter also provides practical tips for citing sources, conducting behavioral studies, and modeling experiments based on peer-reviewed research. It underscores the need for a thorough literature review and ethical considerations when conducting research.

Here are some strategies to gather your information

Start with primary and secondary sources

Indications of a primary source:

• The source is a firsthand account or original document, such as a diary entry, a letter, or a photograph, created by someone who was present during the event.
• The source is a scientific study or experiment that presents the original data and findings from the researcher.
• The source is a literary, artistic, or musical work created during the time period in question.
• The source is an artifact or object from the historical period being studied.
• The source is a government document, such as a census or legislative record, created contemporaneously with the event.

Secondary Source: This type of source is derived from one or more primary sources. It offers an analysis, interpretation, or summary of the original materials and is usually created after the time period in question. Examples include textbooks, biographies, historical analyses, critical essays, and documentaries.

Indications of a secondary source:

• The source provides an interpretation or analysis of primary sources, such as a history book or biography.
• The source was created or published after the time period being studied, like modern historical analyses.
• The source reviews or critiques a primary source, such as a book or movie review.
• The source synthesizes or summarizes information from multiple primary sources.
• The source is a research article that cites and draws from primary sources but is not itself original research.

Bibliography

Check the bibliographies of studies to find related sources rich with information.
Example bibliography entries for Alzheimer’s disease research:

• Selkoe DJ. Alzheimer’s disease: a central role for amyloid. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1994;53(5):438-447. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
• Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K, Quinlan M, Tung YC, Zaidi MS, Wisniewski HM. Microtubule-associated protein tau. A component of Alzheimer paired helical filaments. J of Biol Chem. 1986;261(13):6084-6089. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
• Grundke-Iqbal I, Iqbal K, Tung YC, Quinlan M, Wisniewski HM, Binder LI. Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein τ (tau) in Alzheimer cytoskeletal pathology. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1986;83(13):4913-4917. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
• Ihara Y, Nukina N, Miura R, Ogawara M. Phosphorylated tau protein is integrated into paired helical filaments in Alzheimer’s disease. J Biochem. 1986;99(6):1807-1810. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
• Zotova E, Nicoll JA, Kalaria R, Holmes C, Boche D. Inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease: relevance to pathogenesis and therapy. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2010;2(1):1. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
• Golde TE, Dickson D, Hutton M. Filling the gaps in the Aβ hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Curr. Alzheimer Res. 2006;3:421-430. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
• Binder LI, Frankfurter A, Rebhun LI. The distribution of tau in the mammalian central nervous system. J Cell Biol. 1985;101(4):1371-1378. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Boolean Operators

• While collecting data, social media may not serve well for research purposes unless analyzing language patterns from these platforms. For citations, you can use a site like Easy Bib; however, keep in mind that their citations may contain minor errors. 
• It’s advisable to utilize resources like Purdue Owl to determine the most suitable citation style for your paper. Historical papers often use MLA, whereas scientific papers typically follow APA guidelines. 
• If you’re conducting a behavioral study and need participants for data collection, platforms like Google Forms and SurveyMonkey can be incredibly helpful

Gather and organize your information

Here's an example:
A study investigated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating depression. This research, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, involved participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder who were randomly assigned to receive either CBT or a placebo treatment. The researchers assessed the participants' depression symptoms before and after treatment, revealing that those who received CBT experienced significantly greater symptom reduction compared to those who received the placebo.
If you wish to conduct a similar experiment, you could recruit participants diagnosed with depression, randomly assign them to CBT or placebo treatments, and evaluate their symptoms before and after. However, it’s essential to conduct a thorough literature review and obtain ethical and regulatory approvals before proceeding with any research.
That was a lot of information! Keep these tips handy as you progress through your research; they will prove helpful at every stage. 

Key Terms

• APA: The American Psychological Association (APA) is a professional organization that establishes guidelines for writing and formatting academic papers, particularly in the social sciences. These guidelines promote clarity and consistency in scholarly writing, helping readers easily understand the author’s ideas and the context of the presented research.
• Boolean Operators: Boolean operators are terms or symbols used in search queries to refine and control the results from databases and search engines. Operators like 'AND', 'OR', and 'NOT' enable users to create more effective search strategies by combining or excluding terms, facilitating quicker access to relevant information.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a type of psychotherapy aimed at helping individuals identify and modify negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. It integrates cognitive and behavioral techniques to address issues such as anxiety and depression, emphasizing the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
• EBSCO: EBSCO is an online research database that offers access to various academic resources, including scholarly journals, magazines, e-books, and other publications. It is an essential tool for researchers, educators, and students, providing a comprehensive platform for sourcing credible information and evaluating sources in academic work.
• Google Forms: Google Forms is a free online tool that allows users to create surveys, quizzes, and forms for data collection and analysis. It enables individuals and organizations to gather information through customizable forms, including various question types like multiple-choice and short answer. This tool is particularly useful for gathering structured data that can be analyzed for reliability and validity.
• Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a testable prediction or educated guess about the relationship between two or more variables. It serves as a foundation for research, guiding the investigation and framing the analysis of collected data. A well-constructed hypothesis posits a specific outcome and defines the study parameters, facilitating the evaluation of the sources used in the research process.
• Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology: This peer-reviewed journal publishes research articles in psychology, particularly focusing on clinical psychology and consulting. It serves as a critical source of empirical evidence and theoretical discussions, providing insights into mental health interventions, assessments, and therapies.
• Literature Review: A literature review is a thorough survey of existing research and publications related to a specific topic, offering an overview of what has been studied and established in the field. This process helps identify gaps in knowledge, informs future research directions, and positions the current study within the broader context of existing work.
• Major depressive disorder: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest, and various emotional and physical problems that significantly impair daily functioning. Understanding this disorder’s sources of information is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
• MLA: The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a style guide commonly used for writing and formatting research papers in the humanities, particularly in literature, philosophy, and cultural studies. The MLA format provides rules for citing sources, organizing papers, and presenting written work clearly and consistently, ensuring authors give appropriate credit to original ideas while effectively communicating with their audience.
• Peer-reviewed research: This refers to the process where academic work, such as articles or studies, is evaluated and critiqued by experts in the same field before publication. This process ensures that research meets high standards of quality, credibility, and scientific rigor, forming a vital part of scholarly communication and providing reliable information.
• Primary Source: A primary source is an original document or artifact created during the time under study, providing firsthand evidence about a historical event, individual, or phenomenon. These sources are essential for understanding the context and perspectives of the time, offering unmediated access to the subject matter without later authors' interpretations.
• Purdue Owl: Purdue Owl, or the Purdue Online Writing Lab, is a well-respected online resource providing comprehensive writing and research assistance, including guidelines for formatting, citation styles, and effective writing techniques. Its extensive materials are invaluable for evaluating the quality and credibility of sources used in academic research and writing.
• Secondary Source: A secondary source is a document or recording that discusses or relates information originally presented elsewhere. These sources analyze, interpret, or summarize primary sources, offering context and perspectives that may not be present in the original material. Evaluating secondary sources is crucial as they can carry the biases of the author and impact the reliability of the research.
• Survey Monkey: SurveyMonkey is a cloud-based software that allows users to create, distribute, and analyze surveys. It offers various features such as customizable templates, data analysis tools, and the capability to gather responses from a broad audience, making it a valuable resource for collecting feedback and insights.