Critical Thinking Ability in Analyzing Contrasting Data Sources

This essay delves into the significance of critical thinking in the analysis of conflicting data sources, a crucial aspect of academic research. It highlights how critical thinking enables researchers to objectively evaluate diverse data sources and make informed decisions, especially when faced with contradictory information. The essay discusses the importance of identifying the authenticity and credibility of data sources, distinguishing reliable sources like peer-reviewed articles from potentially biased sources like blogs and Wikipedia. It explores strategies such as triangulation, which involves using multiple methods and data sources to validate findings, and the process of systematically evaluating competing hypotheses. The essay emphasizes the need for a comprehensive decision-making process grounded in cognitive psychology and scientific methods to arrive at logical conclusions when dealing with conflicting evidence. The essay concludes by underscoring the importance of critical thinking as an essential skill for researchers to navigate the complexities of data analysis and ensure the reliability and validity of their research.

Running Head: COMPETING SOURCE OF EVIDENCE 1
Competing Source of Evidence

Competing Source of Evidence 2
Critical thinking is an intellectual discipline, which analyzes different data sources to
form an objective analysis of the facts (Lau, 2011). There are several terms associated with
critical thinking such as rational and unbiased analysis from the factual evidence. Critical
thinking is an important asset in the rational analysis and thinking. A person equipped with
rational thinking can take right decisions (Tittle, 2011). It is also important to develop critical
thinking can case of dilemma and complex decision-making. Critical thinking gives an
individual power to take the right decision and examine complex issues. It is also an important
asset for the researchers and contributes in increasing the reliability and validity of the data. In
academic research, there are several instances when the researcher encounters conflicting sources
of data. In such cases, it is important to have critical thinking ability to distinguish conflicting
data sources (Padget, 2012). The present essay will discuss the importance of critical thinking
ability in analyzing contrasting data sources. The essay will also shed light on the strategies and
methods, which can be used to prevent these problems.
The research is a complex phenomenon in which the researcher has to conduct different
activities pertaining to the accomplishment of research. In all these activities, the researcher
encounters different information; therefore, it is important to adopt critical thinking for the
careful acquisition and the interpretation of the information. In academic activities, critical
thinking is an important element in all professional fields and academic disciplines. Critical
thinking refers to the careful attainment and interpretation of the information so that the
researcher can arrive at a well-defined conclusion. Critical thinking is applicable to any case;
however, there are various forms of critical thinking. It is the process of questioning, evaluating,

Competing Source of Evidence 3
reconstructing, and challenging the established theory and practice (Padget, 2012). Such practice
can result in the formation of new theories and paradigms. It is very important in research.
Critical thinking is the only manner to decide whether an information is true or false. It is the
way to conclude the viability of the research.
In research process, a researcher may encounter sources with conflicting views and approaches.
In this scenario, it is important for the researcher to use the critical thinking ability to analyze the
viability and the reliability of different resources. In such situations, the researcher must focus on
the viability and the authenticity of the resource (Braun & Clarke, 2013). Blogs and Wikipedia
are not considered as the authentic resources as they can be written and edited by anyone.
Moreover, they represent the personal opinions of the authors, which may be biased or false.
While encountering conflicting sources, the researcher will encounter the dilemma whether first
source is true or the second source is true. If both the sources are included in the research, it will
yield contrary results. Moreover, it is important to analyze authenticity of the resources before
including them in the research as it can obstruct the authenticity of the research.
Therefore, when the researcher encounters conflicting resources, they should examine the
authenticity of the resources. In order to analyze the authenticity of the sources, the credibility of
the resource must be examined. Peer-reviewed research articles and articles published in journal
articles have high credibility as the authenticity of the information is examined by several
authors. The information published in these articles is authentic and have high credibility. They
can be used as authentic resource of information (McDonald, Bammer & Deane, 2009).

Competing Source of Evidence 4
Competing data and competing hypothesis also occurs when, the researcher tries to explain a
social phenomenon with the observed data. It is a challenging issue and assist the researcher in
identifying the reasonable alternatives and evaluating the plausibility of each of the theory.
However, it the analysis of the competing hypothesis, it is very difficult for the researcher to
match each of the collected data with the competing theory. Comparing two or three hypothesis
is beyond the cognitive ability of the human brain. In this regard, the researcher can separately
examine each hypothesis and compare them the collected data.
When there are conflicting results from different data sources, then the user can use the method
of triangulation to assure that the data is credible. In the recent years, both qualitative and
quantitative methods are being used to overcome the weakness of one research method. It can be
critiqued that the research is the systematic investigation which can be used to find solutions to a
problem. However, in social research, it is difficult to conduct an enquiry as various elements
influence each other and; therefore, each element cannot be measured singularly.
Moreover, if only one research method is used for conducting research, then the research is
affected by the deficiencies of one research method. Therefore, the weakness of one method can
be overcome by combining different research methods and capitalizing on the individual
strengths of different methods. Triangulation is one such method in which the researcher assures
that the results of different results yield similar results or at least do not yield contradictory
results.
Due to several benefits, triangulation has become an accepted practice in the social research. It is
the combination of various research methods to study the same phenomenon in social research.

Competing Source of Evidence 5
The process of triangulation can be achieved by using different research techniques which can
cross-check the completeness and authenticity of different research methods. It can also increase
the credibility and the validity of different research. By combining multiple observations,
theories and empirical evidence, the researchers can overcome intrinsic bias or weaknesses
arising from single observation and single theory studies (Scott & Morrison, 2007).
The triangulation can eradicate three types of errors, such as data source triangulation,
methodology triangulation, and theory triangulation. The data source triangulation is the use of
different data sources such as primary and secondary data sources such as interviews,
observations, and public records (McDonald, Bammer & Deane, 2009). The methodology
triangulation is the use of several different methods to obtain data, such as the use of interviews,
observations, questionnaires, which can be used to conduct primary research. The theory
triangulation is the use of theoretical approach to interpret and support data. There are several
benefits of data triangulation such as several different sources of information can provide more
insight into the subject, inadequacies in one-source data can be reduced when different data
sources can confirm the same information. With this approach, comprehensive data can be
obtained (Merterns, & Hesse-Biber, 2012).
There are also other approaches to test the competing hypothesis which assist the researcher to
arrive at a logical conclusion. There are several aspects which needs careful weighing and arrive
at an alternative conclusion. A step-wise procedure can be used to gain basic insight from the
dilemma. A comprehensive decision-making process is grounded in the principles of cognitive
psychology, decision analysis and the scientific methods. The analysis examines alternative

Competing Source of Evidence 6
hypothesis in each other favor rather than examining each other’s plausibility (Flick, 2008). In
this approach, all the possible hypotheses are considered and different perspectives are analyzed
to brainstorm different possibilities. There should be differentiation in the hypothesis generation
and the hypothesis evaluation stage. The brainstorming is the process of simulating imagination
and analyzing all kind of opportunities for their likelihood and feasibility. The number of
hypothesis to be considered depends upon the analytical problem. In the next phase, the
researcher or the decision-maker should list all the significant evidence made for each
hypothesis. While assembling the list of relevant evidence and arguments, the researcher should
examine all the factors which can impact on the judgment regarding the hypothesis. In the last
step, the researcher should draw tentative conclusion based on the likelihood of each of the
hypothesis (Maree & Westhuizen, 2009).
It can be concluded that the research process is the assembling of several complex
processes. One of the most complex issue encountered in the research process is competing
source of evidence. It is the process in which two theories contradict each other backed by
different source of evidence. In social experiments, the scientists observe different social
phenomenon, make observations and provide different hypothesis to explain the phenomenon.
There are several reasons of competing data sources such as unauthentic sources. The
unauthentic data sources refers to the personal views of the authors without any evidence. The
information collected from Wikipedia and personal blogs come under this category as the
information is the personal views of the author. The triangulation is a common method which
can be used to address the issue.

Competing Source of Evidence 7