Evaluating Resources
When using a book, article, report, or Web site for your research, it is important to gauge how reliable the source is.
Initial appraisal
- Author or creator: What are the author's credentials (educational background, past writing, experience) in this area? Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? Respected authors are cited frequently by other scholars. For this reason, always note names that appear in many different sources.
- Year of publication: Is the source current or out of date for your topic? Topic areas of continuing and rapid development, such as the sciences, demand more current information. Topics in the humanities often require material that was written many years ago.
- Edition: Is this a first edition? Later editions indicate a source has been revised and updated. Multiple printings or editions may indicate that the work has become a standard source in the area and is reliable.
- Publisher: Is it a university press or a large reputable publisher?
Content analysis
Intentions: Read the preface (book) or abstract (article) to determine the author's intentions. Scan the table of contents and the index to get a broad overview of the material covered. Note whether bibliographies are included.
Intended audience: What type of audience is the author addressing? Is this source too elementary, too technical, too advanced, or appropriate for your needs?
Objective reasoning:
- Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda? It is not always easy to separate fact from opinion.
- Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it questionable and unsupported by evidence?
- Is the author's point of view objective and impartial? Is the language free of emotion-rousing words or bias?
Coverage:
- Does the work update other sources, substantiate other materials you have read, or add new information? You should explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints.
- Is the material primary or secondary in nature? Primary sources are the raw material of the research process; secondary sources are based on primary sources.
Writing style: Is the publication organized logically? Are the main points clearly presented? Do you find the text easy to read? Is the author repetitive?
Evaluative reviews (books):
- Locate critical reviews of books in a reviewing source, such as Book Review Digest. Is the book considered a valuable contribution to the field? Does the reviewer mention other books that might be better? If so, locate these sources.
- Do the various reviewers agree on the value or attributes of the book, or has it aroused controversy among the critics?
Learning how to determine the relevance and authority of a given resource for your research is one of the core skills of the research process. For more assistance with the research process, consult your instructor or a reference librarian.
For more tips on evaluating resources see the following CUL page: Critically Analyzing Information Sources
Evaluating Web Resources
Purpose
Occasionally, Web sites pretending to be objective have a hidden agenda and may be trying to persuade, promote, or sell something.
- What is the purpose or motive for the site? (e.g., educational, commercial, entertainment, promotional)
- Is the site trying to sell you something?
- How easy is it to differentiate advertisement from content?
- Based on your knowledge, is the information factual, opinion, propaganda, et cetera?
- Who is the intended audience, and how is this reflected in the organization and presentation of the site?
Authority
- Is the author identifiable? Look for links that say "Who We Are," "About This Site" or something similar.
- Is there contact information for the author? (e.g., e-mail address, mailing address, phone number)
- What is the author's background? (e.g., experience, credentials, occupation, whether he or she has written other publications on the topic)
- Does the author cite his or her sources?
- Is this site linked to often by other sites?
- Do links on this site lead to other reputable sites?
- Are there spelling errors or incorrect use of grammar?
- What domain does the site belong to? (e.g., .edu, .gov, .com, .net, .org)?
Reliability
The dependability of a Web site is important if it is going to be cited as a source in other works or recommended for use by others.
- Do most of the links on the page work?
- From your evaluation of currency and authority, do you think the site will be there next time you visit it?
Currency
- When was site last updated or revised? If you cannot find a date on the page, type javascript:alert(document.lastModified) in the address bar and hit Enter. A pop-up window will display the date and time when the page was last updated.
- How often is the site updated?
- Do the links on the site work?
Coverage
- What information is included or omitted?
- Is the page completed or under construction?
Evaluating Web Resources
Purpose
Occasionally, Web sites pretending to be objective have a hidden agenda and may be trying to persuade, promote, or sell something.
- What is the purpose or motive for the site? (e.g., educational, commercial, entertainment, promotional)
- Is the site trying to sell you something?
- How easy is it to differentiate advertisement from content?
- Based on your knowledge, is the information factual, opinion, propaganda, et cetera?
- Who is the intended audience, and how is this reflected in the organization and presentation of the site?
Authority
- Is the author identifiable? Look for links that say "Who We Are," "About This Site" or something similar.
- Is there contact information for the author? (e.g., e-mail address, mailing address, phone number)
- What is the author's background? (e.g., experience, credentials, occupation, whether he or she has written other publications on the topic)
- Does the author cite his or her sources?
- Is this site linked to often by other sites?
- Do links on this site lead to other reputable sites?
- Are there spelling errors or incorrect use of grammar?
- What domain does the site belong to? (e.g., .edu, .gov, .com, .net, .org)?
Reliability
The dependability of a Web site is important if it is going to be cited as a source in other works or recommended for use by others.
- Do most of the links on the page work?
- From your evaluation of currency and authority, do you think the site will be there next time you visit it?
Currency
- When was site last updated or revised? If you cannot find a date on the page, type javascript:alert(document.lastModified) in the address bar and hit Enter. A pop-up window will display the date and time when the page was last updated.
- How often is the site updated?
- Do the links on the site work?
Coverage
- What information is included or omitted?
- Is the page completed or under construction?