Journalists often cite academic research, reports and papers in their reporting to support the facts presented or offer alternative views.
But even when it comes from a reputable source, the information should be verified to avoid citing work that uses flawed analysis, for example, or that is not backed up by sufficient evidence.
In this article from IJNet, Sherry Ricchiardi, international journalist and media development specialist, outlines a few tips on how to make sure the research you are using is accurate.
She refers to two posts from Journalist's Resource managing editor Denise-Marie Ordway, who looked at the differences between a quality study and a potentially problematic one.
Ordway recommends checking if the research you're thinking of using is peer-reviewed, as well as who funded it and whether the author has any conflicts of interest, among other tips.
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