Evaluation of Scholarly Sources

http://www.stemcell.life/stem-cell-therapy.html

     As noted in my other blogs, I am passionate about the field of Molecular and Cellular Biology. I am so interested in this field because it is a way for me to add to science, and be constantly learning something new as the years go on. Biology has always been rooted in controversy, from the Scopes' trial in the 1920's, to research ethics in the 21st century. I wanted to break down the stem cell controversy, because it highlights the importance of research in my field.
     The first article I will be using is from ScienceDirect. ScienceDirect is a '.com' website, which cannot always be trusted. However, this is actually a published paper in the journal Seminars in Spine Surgery, from Elsevier, which would make you pay hundreds of dollars to read this one research article.
     This article was added to the journal in June of 2015, so I know the research and data is current. The authors are Islam Elboghdady, Hamid Hassanzadeh, Benjamin Stein, and Howard An, who all currently have MD's and are actively researching. Their ethos is enough to guarantee this is a genuine study, and not a gimmick. The article has not been updated since its publication.
     The purpose of this article was to educate readers and illustrate the potential dangers of utilizing MSC stem cells in spinal surgery. The authors did not take a side, rather they emphasized that more research needed to be done with the cells. This scientific journal did not have any images, which I found odd.
    I also found information about the stem cell controversy from the Indian Journal of Medical Research on the National Center for Biotechnology Information's website. The NCBI is a '.gov' website, which means it is monitored and run by the government. This is a great source of information, but runs the risk of being bias towards big companies.
     This article was published in February of 2015 and highlights the potential advantages of MSC's, VSEL's and if they are even considered true 'stem cells'. The author is V.M. Katoch, who presents the data from Dr. Deepa Bhartiya's research. It has not been updated since February, so new information could be out there. The publication has no images, rather a list of other publications fills that space. The author does not hold a position, but points out the bias in the research.