Evaluating Information Sources

Don’t trust everything that you read!

With the wide variety of sources available to today’s researcher, the process of evaluating information sources has become much more important. As a researcher, it is up to you to ensure that all of the information sources you use are providing accurate information. To determine if a source is worthy of your time, use the following evaluation criteria.

Currency

When was the information published?

For web pages, when was the page last updated?

Is this a topic that requires very recent information or will information from several years ago or decades ago be relevant?

Authority

Who is the author of this information?

Is the author qualified to write about this topic? Is he/she an expert in the field?

For books, who was the publisher? Is the publisher reputable?

For articles, is the periodical credible? Was it in a newspaper, magazine, or scholarly journal?

Accuracy

Is the information presented factual or is it the opinion of the author?

Is the information biased?

What is the source of the information presented?

 

Audience

Who is the intended audience?

Is the information for a general or specialized audience?