Click the icon below to view a brief video about evaluating sources for research papers.
Through the Internet, there is much more information available today than was the case only a few years ago. The information explosion places more responsibility upon the reader to critically evaluate resources.
The following four criteria can help you to evaluate your sources:
Authority--Who is the author? What is his expertise? Who is the publisher?
Accuracy--Is it well-researched? Is there a bibliography or references so you can locate the original source of the information? Do the facts jive with other sources?
Objectivity--Is there bias? Is the information promoting a specific point of view or is it objective?
Currency--Is the information up-to-date? Is it too dated to be useful?
Thinking about any type of publication, including websites, in this way will help ensure that you have located the best information available.
