Why Evaluate?
You must cite the sources you are using to support your arguments or conclusions. Quality sources are an expectation of college level research.
Good quality sources are ones that are accurate, well-written, current, cover their topic thoroughly, have a clearly stated purpose, and provide supporting documentation. To be persuasive and get a good grade, you need to demonstrate that you can identify quality sources, can recognize bias, and have made conscious information choices.
External vs. Internal Criteria?
Evaluating sources involves the application of both external and internal criteria. The external criteria to look for include the Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Who wrote it? What is it about? When was it written? Where is it being published? Why was it written?
Internal criteria have to do with your personal reasons for finding an article, book, or website useful or relevant to your research. Is your topic best served by articles, books, or websites? What do you know/believe already? What do you need to learn? Is date of publication important? Do you need overviews or in-depth studies? Does it meet the requirements of your assignment?
Applying criteria
| WHAT is this about? Does it have the kind of information you need? |
|---|
| Books |
- Scan title and subject keywords
- Look at table of contents and index
|
| Articles |
- Look at title, abstract, and keyword/descriptors
|
| Websites |
- Look at browser title bar, document title, content and links.
|
| WHO created this? Can you find an author name and/or verify the author's credentials? |
|---|
|
Books |
- Author listed with credentials/affiliations? (check preface, introduction, chapters)
|
| Articles |
- Author listed with affiliations? (look for institution or organization)
|
| Websites |
- Look for “About the Author/About Us” links for author’s name and contact information
- Look for link to the home page
- Look at the parts of the address or URL to find organizational information
- Verify author’s qualifications in another source (eg. Journal, institutional web page, directory)
|
| WHERE is the information coming from? |
|---|
| Books |
- Academic press, commercial publisher, government agency?
|
| Articles |
- From scholarly, popular or trade journal?
- Has content been peer reviewed?
|
| Websites |
|
| WHY was this written and how does that affect the information? |
|---|
| Books |
- Intended audience (scholarly, popular, student, trade)?
- Determine purpose: to inform, persuade, entertain, instruct, to sell
|
| Articles |
- Intended audience (scholarly, popular, trade, student)?
- Primary research or review?
- Determine purpose
|
| Websites |
- Look at “About Us/Mission/Purpose,” links, content and advertising
- Determine purpose:
- Advocacy or “soapbox” (tries to persuade)
- Informational (often multiple viewpoints and references)
- Business or marketing (tries to sell)
- Entertainment
|
WHEN was the source/information created? Is the date important for the
timeliness of the content? |
|---|
| Books |
- Date of publication or date of copyright?
- Later edition? (reflects changes in knowledge and usually reliable)
|
| Articles |
- Date of publication?
- Date of research?
|
| Websites |
- Look for dates. Can you tell what they mean? Publication or copyright date? Last modified or updated? Date statistics gathered or published?
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General guidelines for accuracy, completeness, and credibility of source
| Books |
- If the information is contradictory to what you know, can it be verified?
- Examine references and bibliographies
- Note errors, omissions, emotional writing style
|
| Articles |
- Are sources of information cited in text or bibliographies?
- Has it been peer reviewed…is it scholarly or popular?
- Is the research methodology described?
|
| Websites |
- Examine references and bibliographies
- Verify information with another reputable source
- Follow links to institutional, political, and organizational affiliations or funding.
- If you notice many errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc., question the accuracy of other information on the site.
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