Music Research 101

Evaluating
Credibility	<<previous pg. \| next pg.>>

Author's Credibility

Do you believe everything you read? Knowing more about an author can help you judge her or his credibility. If possible, look for a brief biography of the author in the book or article and look for his/her credentials. As you carry out the research on your music topic, you may notice certain names appearing again and again in connection with specific music subjects. These are scholars who have gained a reputation for having expertise in the field. Does that mean that everything that appears in their books and articles is absolutely correct? Not necessarily! Editing errors can creep in, or the author may be positing a controversial point of view that is in dispute among scholars. You may need to double check facts in other sources.

The Publisher's Credibility

Similar to judging an author’s credentials, knowing more about a publishing company can help you understand their potential biases. Keep in mind that publishing standards vary for each publishing house. One publisher may print anything that will bring a profit, whereas another may screen all information they publish to ensure the validity of the content, thereby protecting their reputation. When using a score for music research, be aware that the edition you choose can be affected by the particular publisher’s editorial practices. Some publications are highly edited, some not. Reprints may carry over old scholarship, mistakes and all.

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Evaluating