Source Evaluation Techniques

CURRENCY:  Consider the timeliness of the information you encounter, when it was published or produced.

• If it’s an older source, is it outdated?  Or is it timeless? Find out whether the information has historical value.
• Determine whether there have been important discoveries or developments related to the topic since the resource was created.
• Check to see if and when the source itself was updated or revised. If you’re evaluating a website, test links to ensure they are still working.

RELEVANCE:  Think about how well the source fits your needs.

• Does it answer your question? Does it provide information directly related to your topic?
• Consider the uniqueness, depth and breadth of the information covered; does its treatment of the subject fit your needs?
• If you’re writing a research paper, make sure you can use the resource to develop, emphasize, support or critique your ideas.
• Pay attention to the source’s intended audience. In other words, make sure it is neither too advanced nor too simple to suit your purpose.

AUTHORITY:  Question the source of the information. In other words, who wrote, produced, funded or published it?

• Determine whether the author is an individual, group, non-profit organization, commercial enterprise or government office.
• Is there enough information about the author—such as her education, experience, or professional affiliations—to gauge her subject expertise?
• Is the author/organization/publisher respected by other experts in the field?
• Is the content dynamic? In other words, if someone else views the same source later, might the content be altered?
• Consider issues of editorial control, including the review process involved before the resource is published or updates are posted.
• For websites, think about whether the URL domain (such as .edu, .gov, .com, .org, etc.) indicates anything useful about the source.

ACCURACY: Assess how reliable the information is.

• Is there sufficient evidence to back the author’s claims? Do the arguments or assertions stem from fact-based and logical analysis?
• Can the information be verified by other reputable sources? Make sure the author cited his sources so you can evaluate their merit.
• Was the source peer-reviewed or refereed; that is, have reputable experts in the field formally approved the content or research methods?
• Look for examples of plagiarism, exaggeration, prejudice, or bias in the source. Does the author jump to conclusions too quickly?
• Does the author acknowledge and fairly assess alternate perspectives and possibilities? Watch out for simplistic yes/no and either/or thinking.
• Consider the quality of the writing itself; punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors are red flags.

PURPOSE: Determine why the information is presented.

• Was the source created to educate, inform, entertain, or persuade the audience?
• Look for evidence of commercial, political, religious, or other motivations. (Hint: Check whether advertisements are clearly labeled.)
• Consider how upfront the author is about her reasons for creating the source.