The research paper highlights the importance and effectiveness of COVID vaccine boosters for people in general. To confirm this fact, attention was drawn to numerous studies of vaccines, their action, and the various manifestations and reactions of both single-component vaccines and doses requiring amplification. A source supporting the idea was found in one of the world’s most respected general scientific journals. The article “Mixing COVID vaccines triggers potent immune response” by Ewen Callaway, published in the journal Nature, devoted to research mainly on natural sciences, was selected. The source could be sponsored by an editor interested in gaining prestige as a result of the publication. The article evaluated can be considered successful in terms of the necessary characteristics, including reliability, usefulness, relevance, and meaningfulness based on facts.
The source’s credibility can be judged by the relevant information presented in the article; the conclusions summarized in the article are confirmed in studies around the world, so the data presented can be considered reliable. The study examines the strategy of mixing vaccines to boost the immune response. The statements of scientists and virologists about this method inspire confidence: “The Pfizer vaccine boosted antibody responses remarkably in one-dose AstraZeneca vaccinees.” (Callaway, 2021, p. 491) Validating the strategy Zhou Xing, an immunologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, provides evidence-based expert opinion. The article presents references to works and studies that indicate the credibility of the information presented in the source: “…two doses of the same vaccine” (as cited in Callaway, 2021, p. 491).
The source analyzed has some value to work with, confirming the effectiveness of vaccines and COVID vaccine boosters, which Pfizer and AstraZeneca can be, depending on the situation. The article’s thesis is expressed in the idea of greater effectiveness of the presented vaccines working together. The goal is achieved by bringing facts and expressing expert opinions, making people take a critical look at the situation. “The Pfizer–BioNTech booster seemed to jolt the immune systems of the Oxford–AstraZeneca-dosed participants,” reported Magdalena Campins, a Spanish investigator on the CombivacS study at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona (as cited in Callaway, 2021, p. 491). The results show that “control participants who did not receive a booster vaccination experienced no change in antibody levels” (Callaway, 2021, p. 491). The information confirms the result that scientists are striving for in this study and proves the factual usefulness of the selected source for the evaluation of the necessary characteristics.
It is crucial that the study provides not only highly positive information, the author also emphasizes that the actions of enhancers, different from the first vaccine, lead to significant side effects, such as fever, stating: “A UK study called Com-COV… found that people in the mix-and-match groups experienced higher rates of common vaccine-related side effects” (Callaway, 2021, p. 491). This proves the veracity of what is written in the article and warns the reader about the possible results, leaving the choice to him.
To conclude, the source can be very reliable when working on the topic of COVID vaccine boosters. The article’s credibility is confirmed by current information, research-based on facts, authoritative opinions of scientists, and the fact that the article involves references to the necessary studies. The source is considered valid, as it contains background and essential information on which it is possible to rely in the research.
Reflection Questions
What types of questions did you ask yourself when evaluating the credibility and usefulness of your source?
It is necessary to question oneself about the relevance of the source evaluated to determine credibility. Usefulness should be evaluated critically by determining the source’s purpose and how it arrives at that goal.
How do you feel this evaluation practice will help you as you continue to move through the research process?
Evaluation of the source is the necessary practice in the research process in our time. It helps better immerse in the process and evaluate information critically.
Reference
Callaway, E. (2021). Mixing COVID vaccines triggers potent immune response. Nature, 593, 491.