Sources of Scientific Information

The source of the information that I picked is an article titled “Mysterious Galápagos Reefs Harbor Strawberry Squid and Other Fantastic Creatures,” published on Scientific American on November 2, 2023, and written by Jack Tamisiea. This article falls under the category of academic, peer-reviewed review material. 

The classification is supported by factors in the Flow Chart for discriminating among different sources of information: Firstly, the article is written by Jack Tamisiea, who is identified as a science journalist based in Washington, D.C. While he may not be a researcher in the specific field of marine biology, the article emphasizes the involvement of researchers, including Katleen Robert, a specialist in seafloor mapping at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, who led an international team during the mapping expedition. This suggests that the content is based on the expertise of individuals actively involved in the field.

Secondly, the article includes in-text citations, as seen in phrases such as “The team used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to map two pristine cold-water coral reefs, one of which is the size of eight football field and two submerged volcanoes, or seamounts, in high resolution.” This indicates that the information presented is backed up.

Thirdly, the article contains does not contain a methods or finding section. This suggests that the article’s characteristics align with academic, peer-reviewed review material.