1.

Write an Essay on the Role of Analysis and Evaluation of material in a research

work.

In the academic research, analysis and evaluation play one of the most important roles to
become a paper flawless. Each of them has a different role and process. The analysis and
evaluation can be seen in when the researcher collect the materials for his or her research.
The quality of a research paper depends on the effort of the researcher’s analysis and
evaluation on the paper. In the scholarly research, the critical method is very important
because it require establishing proof with evidence or facts.

In the critical research method, there are two ways of approaching: Authentication and
Sources. In authenticity of a research material, it is important that how the material is
written or who wrote the material and when the material is written? There was a time
where the writers were circulating famous writer’s name as their own name in order to get
readers. Hence, the readers are confusing with which one is the real author. In this case, the
critical study method is a tool for solving the problem. The critical study method will focus
on the internal evidence such as the main idea of the author, the general term used of this
particular author, the dedication and the audience of the author, often repeated expressions
which are also found in the works of a known person or a real author, and his way of writing
styles. When the date of publication is not put or unknown in the research material, various
tests can be employed. For this kind of situation, a critical study method will evaluate on the
material, e.g. are other editions of the same work, or translations, available and include a
publishing date? Does the style of language agree with that in use during the period in
question, or does it appear to be from a different period? Does the writer show a knowledge
of events which happened during the time period in question? These test and evaluation can
bring and help the answer to establish a date or approximate period of origin.

Textual accuracy is the ability to provide exact or true value of the material texts. It is the
ability of the measuring instrument to obtain true or exact value in a measurement. Accuracy
is the proximity or closeness of the measured value with the value.1 In textual accuracy, the
researcher is more concern in the questions is the text accurate in substance and composition,
or does it contain errors? If the case of error, were these part of the original text made in the
transmission of the original text. Errors in the transmission may be a direct kind, such as

1
“Difference between Accuracy and Precision,” Mechanic Engineering (N. Y),
https://www.Mechanical. in/difference-between-accuracy-and-precision/ (16 September 2019).
those which occur when copying scripture by hand. For this reason, the critical method prefer
on the copies which are nearer to the original text are usually more authentic.

The second way of critical research approaching method is Source. In the source material,
there is the distinction between the primary and secondary data or materials. The primary
data are the data that is collected by a researcher from first-hand sources, using the methods
such as survey methods, interviews, or experiments. It is collected with the research project
in mind, directly from primary sources. It can also possible by persons being studied or
involved in an event being investigated. This is often known as the “pure gold” of research
data. The secondary data is the data gathered from studies, surveys, or experiments that
have been run by other people or for other research and the author will not participate for
the field research.

Therefore, the secondary data are the materials by other person, an event being studied or
other phenomena, while primary data consist of materials either by that person. The research
materials can also be evaluated by direct or circumstantial evidence. In the direct evidence, it
contains eye-witness evidence. The circumstantial evidence is the material from which
inference can be drawn about what happened at an event but which do not directly witness
to that event. This is a kind of indirect material data. The primary material is more valuable
than secondary or circumstantial material in finding an answer for a problem. It provides
much greater value for helping a researcher to know a person, event or phenomena.

When the secondary source is used for the material in the absent of the primary source, it
is necessary to understand the author’s view on the material. The researcher should not rely
on the secondary source for it is the opinion of others. The researcher needs to point out the
author’s qualification on the secondary sources. And the researcher should keep in mind that
is the author has any other written material in the other field or books? Is this all s/she has
published? What kind of sources did the writer use? Did the writer rely his or her materials
on the primary and direct evidences or secondary materials? In overall, the flawless writing
materials can be judged by checking the footnotes and bibliographies and the usefulness
of the prospective materials. When some of the publishers are not reliable for the academic
publisher, the researcher needs to check throughout either the publisher is reliable or not.

In analysing and evaluation a material, studying on the reliability of the material is also an
important section. Reliability of the material refers the degree to which the research method
produces stable and consistent results. This includes the extent of the writer’s bias that
prejudices his or her work. The researcher needs to check his or her material whether the
material is relying on a single source or from only a few sources. If the materials have
fewer sources, the researcher should find the data from different place as much as possible to
make the sources independent each other.2

Therefore, the role of analysis and evaluation in a research material is important as well as it
is a critical step in the research process. If the researcher bases his or her research report on
wrong or incorrect material, his or her work will not be possible a flawless report or material.
To become a good research report is shaped not only by the tools which are used but also by
the way which the tools are used. These roles of analysis and evaluation let the researcher
know how to distinguish the material either it is primary or secondary sources, direct
evidence or circumstantial evidence. These roles can provide not only the solution for the
uncertain authorship and date of materials but also give for how to analyse reliable materials
for a research paper.

2
Hunter P. Mabry, A Manual for Researchers and Writers, 2nd ed. (Serampore: The Board of
Theological Education, 2011), 87-104.