Saturday, September 5, 2015

Evaluation of Scholarly Sources

In this post, I will evaluate the credibility of two scholarly sources I found that relate to the controversy I mentioned in my previous post. These sources focus on the ethical and scientific feasibility of human embryo editing and related stem cell research.

1. "Stem Cell Research in China

Chandra, Swati, "Screenshot from 'Stem cell research in China.'" 09/05/2015 via JSTOR.
  • What is its purpose?: The article reviews several published reports regarding stem cell research in China. By citing the historical increase in stem cell research in the country, the authors conclude that the increased interest in this type of research, as well as the lack of guidelines to govern this controversial research, will only lead to more research on the subject matter in the future. Thus, the article's main purpose is to inform the audience of this trend through a systematic review of literature.
  • How and where is it published?: The article is published in Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences, a scientific journal published by The Royal Society in 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG. This journal is largely considered to be the first scientific journal, and it is peer-reviewed, which increases its credibility.
  • What kinds of sources does it cite?: The article cites many scientific articles that have been published in other scientific journals. It includes both in-text citations and a large list of references at the end of the article to back up its claims.
  • Who is the author?: The article was written by Lianming Liao, Lingsong Li, and Robert Chunhua. A quick Google search shows that they are all professors who specialize in the biomedical field and stem cell research.
  • Who is its intended audience?: The diction that is used throughout the article indicates that the article is intended for people who are already acquainted with stem cell research. Many technical terms are used to speak of the stem cell research, so it is clear that the article is meant for a very specialized audience.
  • How did I find it?: This article was found on JSTOR as a result of my search for articles having to do with the embryonic stem cell controversy in China.

Chandra, Swati, "Screenshot from 'A prudent path forward for genomic engineering and gremlin gene modification.'" 09/05/2015 via Science.

  • What is its purpose?: The article discusses current applications of stem cell research, and then seeks to contribute to the field by suggesting a series of guidelines to follow when conducting this research.
  • How and where is it published?: The article is published in Science, a peer-reviewed journal that specializes in current scientific research.  This organization is located at 1200 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005.
  • What kinds of sources does it cite?: This article cites several scientific articles from reputable sources, both through in-text citations and through a list of references at the end of the article.
  • Who is the author?: The article is written by several authors, including David Baltimore, Paul Berg, Michael Botchan, Dana Carroll, R. Alta Charo, George Church, Jacob E. Corn, George Q. Daley, Jennifer A. Doudna, Marsha Fenner, Henry T. Greely, Matin Jinek, G. Steven Martin, Edward Penhoet, Jennifer Puck, Samuel H. Sternberg, Jonathan S. Weissman, and Keith R. Yamamoto. All of these authors are affiliated with universities such as California Institute of Technology, Stanford University School of Medicine, and other such places, in departments that relate to biomedical sciences and stem cell research.
  • Who is the intended audience?: The article assumes that the reader has some background in this subject, as it uses some technical diction throughout. Thus, the intended audience includes people who are interested in this field of study.
  • How did I find it?: I found this article through the Web of Science, which led me to the website for this scientific journal.

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