Time Lag in Publishing Time lag is one of the primary concerns with hardcopy publishing. Time lag enters the process both from the author's need to find a publisher, and from the publishing process, which requires considerable time and marketing to get a new book to the attention of the academic community. Be aware of this time lag, particularly on social issues that are undergoing rapid change, like welfare changes, like violence studies. Look not just for the publication date, but also for the dates of the research itself. Notice also how the research was funded.
Funding is one factor, though only one, in the quality of research control that can be afforded.
That should certainly affect our trust in the results. Care to Get Around the Limitations of Funding Oliver's research was done for his doctoral dissertation. He had a grant to pay for the transcription of his tape-recorded interviews. When you can think of data you wish he had pursued further, or of different avenues you wish he had looked into, please bear in mind that funding was probably not available for such luxuries. A doctoral student patches together what he can.