Final answer:
Yes, knowing the discipline of an article can help determine its relevance, as it informs whether the article is within the needed field of study and assists in judging the credibility of the sources based on the discipline's standards and customary practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
Knowing which discipline an article comes from can indeed help you decide if the article is relevant to your research or assignment. Judging the relevance of an article by its discipline is a foundational step in the research process as it aligns the information with the specific field of study you are investigating. For example, articles from a medical journal would be highly relevant for a health sciences paper, while those from an economics journal would be pertinent to a business research project. The discipline's knowledge helps to ensure that you are looking at the right context and using applicable information, thereby avoiding unnecessary duplication of research findings. Moreover, understanding the discipline aids in evaluating the credibility of the sources. Looking for the author's credentials and examining whether the article is peer-reviewed are essential steps in this process.
When conducting research, one must also consider the CRAAP Test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose), which includes relevance as a key criterion. This ensures the sources are timely, directly relate to your topic, are written by qualified individuals, are correct in their claims, and have an appropriate purpose.