The research topic for week five is Poverty and Income Inequality

The process of coming up with a research topic is critical as it determines how the entire
process of conducting research will be like (Mertler, 2018). In selecting a topic of research, I
selected the topic that interested me most from the list given. I settled on poverty and income
inequality because this topic excites me. I find it relevant in today’s society as it determines the
quality of life in the community. Further, I considered the scope of the topic. I considered a topic
whose scope is neither too broad, nor too narrow so that researching relevant information will
not be hard. Also, it is easy to locate relevant and up-to-date information on the topic.
There are several ways of determining whether a source is scholarly. The first way is by
identifying the author of the article. Scholarly sources are authored by experts in the relevant
field; people who are competent and have the expertise in the particular field. In most cases, it is
easy to tell because most scholarly articles list the credentials of the authors. Further, scholarly
articles are written for a specific audience, either students, scholars or researchers. Thus, the
authors assume that readers have a certain degree of expertise and foundational knowledge in a
particular field. Thus, these papers are written using specialized terminology that is tailored to
the field covered in the paper. The third way is by looking at the publication. Scholarly articles
are published by credible peer-reviewed scholarly sources such as a university press, a journal, a
professional society, or a scientific publisher. Thus, the location of the article shows whether it is
a credible scholarly source or not.
I selected two articles from the Ashford University Library, that support the claims of my
research. The first article, Impact of Political Instability on Economic Growth, Poverty and

Income Inequality by Iram Shehzadi, Hafiz Muhammad Abubakar Siddique and M. Tariq
Majeed supports my claims on the effect that politics has on poverty and inequitable income
distribution. The article identifies the effects of political instability, both formal and informal.
The two types have a statistically substantial and positive effect on the distribution of income
and resources (Shehzadi et al., 2019). Events such as Coup D’Etat have affected income equality,
thus leading to an increase in poverty rates.
A second article that supports my claim is Financial Inclusion, Poverty, And Income
Inequality by Cyn-Young Park, and Rogelio Jr. Mercado. The article explores the effect of
financial inclusion on the rise and reduction of both poverty rates and income inequality. The
authors state that financial inclusion is affected by factors that include the law, demographic
characteristics, and per capita income (Park & Mercado, 2018). They note that literacy and
completion of primary education increase financial inclusion, lower the level of poverty and the
income distribution.
I will use scholarly articles to support my research paper on the topic of poverty and
income inequality because such articles have the level of authority and credibility that I require
to write a quality research paper. These articles provide verified facts, ideas, and methods that
enhance the credibility of a research paper. I require a chain of evidence in writing my research
paper, as opposed to mere conclusions mostly found in blogs and other unverifiable sources.
Such kind of evidence can be found in scholarly articles.

References

Mertler, C. A. (2018). Introduction to educational research. Sage publications.
Park, C. Y., & Mercado JR, (2018). Financial inclusion, poverty, and income inequality. The
Singapore Economic Review, 63(01), 185-206.
Shehzadi, I., Siddique, H. M. A., & Majeed, M. T. (2019). Impact of Political Instability on
Economic Growth, Poverty and Income Inequality. Pakistan Business Review.