An essential skill in the process of acquiring new information and forming personal statements is critical thinking. First of all, the problem of evaluating sources comes to the most popular topics that concern a large group of people—for instance, the debate about the effects of vegetarianism on a lifetime. There is a large amount of scientific research that should be appropriately evaluated as long as this theme concerns human health and the human body. Every evidence should be supported by numbers, graphs, biology, and medicine studies.
The first source is the article “Veganism, aging and longevity: new insight into old concepts.”
CURRENCY – The article was published in March 2020 in the journal called Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, which means that this source summarizes the most recent studies.
RELEVANCE – the content is written for people who are interested in the topic of nutrition and medicine. The information is not elementary because this requires awareness of the various medical terms, for instance, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.
AUTHORITY – the article was issued in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. The authors are Kristina Norman and Susanne Klaus, scientists of the Research Group on Geriatrics from the Department of Nutrition and Gerontology in the German Institute for Human Nutrition (Norman & Klaus, 2020). The authors’ contact information is presented, including the mobile number and email address.
ACCURACY – every information given in the survey has a reference. However, there is only one table, while in the test, there are no additional graphs or numbers, which creates a full perception of the problem. The tone of the text does not seem to be biased or come from personal knowledge, as it presents both points of view. There are no spelling or grammar errors.
PURPOSE – In general, the article’s mission is to inform the reader with the latest update on studies concerning mortality and health-span in vegans and vegetarians. In the introduction, the authors focus on whether these diets affect human lifespan; therefore, in the conclusions, the answer can be found (Norman & Klaus, 2020). The information is not propaganda, as there are no author’s opinions, but only scientific facts and research. Moreover, it is stated that there was no sponsorship and financial support.
The second evaluated source is “Cardio-Metabolic Benefits of Plant-Based Diets” by scientists from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington.
CURRENCY – The article was published in 2017 in the journal called Nutrients. The information is slightly out-of-date, as there are surveys presented in the text dated from 2007 till 2015.
RELEVANCE – the information related to the topic of vegan diet affects longevity. The problem raised in the article is the number of deaths caused by cardiometabolic diseases and veganism is considered to be the most effective way to prevent the development of this health issue. The survey is supported by a large amount of medical investigation and statistics.
AUTHORITY – the article was issued in the journal Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. The authors are the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. There is information for a contact, such as an email and phone of one of the scientists.
ACCURACY – the information supported by statistics and medical surveys. On the last page, the reader can look at the list of references and recommended reading counted approximately 120 sources (Kahleova et al., 2017). The language is free of emotions without any typographical errors.
PURPOSE – This article aims to reach the audience by giving awareness of the benefits of the vegan diet. Besides, in the conclusions, the authors provide several options for vegetarianism, including vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, to achieve better results in improving health. The summary emphasizes that proper plant-based nutrition is essential and should be promoted in different ways.
References
Kahleova, H., Levin, S., & Barnard, N. (2017). Cardio-metabolic benefits of plant-based diets. Nutrients, 9(8), 848-861.
Norman, K., & Klaus, S. (2020). Veganism, aging and longevity: new insight into old concepts. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care, 23(2), 145-150.