List the ways to enhance credibility as a researcher.

Answers will vary. Readers are more likely to accept your research as valid and reliable if you have designed the research effectively and collected, interpreted, and presented the data in an objective, unbiased manner. The following writing suggestions will enhance your credibility as a researcher:
a. Avoid emotional terms: "The program was fantastic" does not convince anyone. However, "The program saw an increase of 18 percent over that of the previous year" does convince.
b. Identify assumptions: Assumptions are things or conditions that are taken for granted. However, when you make an assumption, state that clearly. Statements such as "Assuming all other factors remain the same …" inform the reader of important assumptions.
c. Label opinions: Facts are preferred over opinion, but sometimes the opinion of a recognized professional is the closest thing to fact. "In the opinion of legal counsel …" lends conviction to the statement that follows and lends credence to the integrity of the writer.
d. Use documentation: Citations and references (works cited) are evidence of the writer's scholarship and honesty. These methods acknowledge the use of secondary material in the research.