User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
Hi Class and Professor Elliot,
I tried to choose a paper that was related to my field research interests and study area. The paper I chose to evaluate, “Riparian vegetation communities of the American Pacific Northwest are tied to multi-scale environmental filters,” was published online on August 25, 2014 in the Journal River Research and Applications. The authors, who are specialists in their field, provide a report indicating the results of a field study based on the comparison and correlation of riparian vegetation to different environmental filters such as elevation, precipitation, and temperature (Hough-snee, Roper, Wheaton, & Lokteff, 2014). The authors ask a specific question, formulate and test a hypothesis, and provide methods and results.
Based on what I learned in the scientific information tutorial, this source is classified as academic, peer-reviewed research material. It is clear the paper is academic as it was written by experts in their field (e.g. hydrology, ecology, forestry) as noted in the subscript under the authors names. In addition, it has in-text citations referenced throughout the entire document and concludes with an extensive list of references. Finally, the paper includes a clear methods and result sections, including data analysis.
This paper is classified as peer-reviewed because it was reviewed by at least one referee in the field. I could tell this was the case by reading the paper and it noted it was received, revised, and accepted prior to it being published in the journal. I also use the library search engine from Royal Roads University and ensure to check the box for ‘peer-reviewed’ articles.
Thanks,
Brittany Lange
Bibliography
Hough-snee, N., Roper, B. B., Wheaton, J. M., & Lokteff, R. L. (2014, August 25). Riparian vegetation communities of the American Pacific Northwest are tied to multi-scale environmental factors. River Research and Application, 31, 1151-1165.
