Evaluating Sources
When looking at a source, ask yourself...
WHAT is the information?
- Can you identify the type of information source you have found?
- What domain is it?
- .gov - Government site
- .edu - Educational site (college, university)
- .org - Organization
- . com – Commercial
WHY is the information written?
- What is the purpose of the information source?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Is it meant to inform?
- To persuade?
- To teach?
- To report the findings of some original research?
- To entertain?
HOW is the information written?
- How does it compare to other items you have found?
- What are the research methods, if any, employed in the source?
- Does the author cite other research?
- Is it a blog? Opinion?
- Have other scholars cited the information source?
- Does the work succeed?
- How is it useful to me or others?
WHO wrote it?
- Who is the author?
- What are the author’s credentials?
- What are the author’s affiliations?
- What are the author’s goals & objectives?
WHEN was it written?
- When the information was created or last updated?
- Is the date important for the timeliness of the content?
- Is the information outdated?
- Has newer information surfaced to discredit this?
