Evaluating Research:
Author's Reputation
Authors have reputations about their research. You can judge an author's reputation by reading reviews about the work, determine if they have won any prizes or awards, and find out if other people are citing their materials.
Discussion
Because of her outspoken views on the Equal Rights Amendment and feminism, in 1979, Sonia Johnson was excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Given her reputation, we can assume that Wildfire: Igniting the She/volution is a highly charged political text. The fact that Wildfire is overtly political does not, however, make it a bad piece of research. But knowing Johnson's reputation does help us evaluate the validity of the contents.
Validity of Google Searches
When searching the Internet to get background information on an author, you need to remember that two or more people can have the same name. For example, you might learn that Dr. Sonia Johnson " is an experienced board certified dermatologist with advanced training in surgeries, minimally invasive aesthetic procedures such as Botox, Dermal Fillers, laser surgery and body sculpturing." However, this Dr. Johnson is not the author of Wildfire.
Special Notes Concerning Web Pages
Web pages have authors and their authors have reputations. Ideally, there should be biographical information about an author on the web page or a link on the page to such information. Please note that all of the pages in Resources for Writers include my contact information, the fact I teach at Schoolcraft College, and a link to my homepage.
