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CRITERIA for evaluating sources

i. Authority/credentials

1. Who is the author?

2. What are her/his credentials?

3. Does s/he have sufficient authority to speak on the subject?

4. Is there an organizational or corporate sponsor?

ii. Reliability/Accuracy/Validity

1. Are the authors up-front about their purpose and content?

2. Do the authors support their assertions/conclusions and avoid questionable assumptions?

3. Are there citations and/or a reference list?

4. Can you verify the information you've located by finding it in other sources?

iii. Currency

1. Does the document clearly state its date of publication?

2. Is the document current enough to include relevant material?

iv. Objectivity/Bias - How can we tell if it is biased?

1. Does the work promote a product or service?

2. Is the bias explicit or hidden?

3. Does the identity of the author or sponsor suggest a bias?

4. How does the bias impact the usefulness of the information?

5. Does the author use strong or emotional language that might suggest a bias?

v. Relevance

1. Does the work address your research question?

2. Is the work at the level of scholarship you require?

3. Is the work the correct type and format?

STATEGIES for evaluating sources

i. Compare

ii. Corroborate

iii. Verify

1. Are there any strange discrepancies/outliers among your sources?

2. Do the facts from one source check out in another?