writing workshop evaluating sources that support a claim assignment quizlet

ENG 3560 - Writing Workshop: Evaluating Sources

• Finding Sources
• Evaluating Sources
• Citing Sources

Identifying Quality Information

People write for many different reasons - to inform, entertain, persuade, mislead, satirize, describe, etc. and the quality of the information can depend on the reason it was written or shared. Information changes as new facts, data, and knowledge comes to light. In an academic assignment, it is important to use information that is  reliable, accurate, objective , and  up-to-date.  You will need to  evaluate  each source you locate, to determine if it is something that will support or contradict your thesis and/or topic. You will look at more sources than you need, and that is okay, and encouraged! The more sources you read, the more informed you are about the topic and can pick the best resources for your assignment.

Below is a list of videos, eBooks, and websites that can help you evaluate information and sources.

• Evaluating Information: Media Sources - Video Playlist 6 part video series Learn strategies for evaluating sources whether you find them on the Internet, in the library, or in the library’s databases.
• Evaluating Sources Using the SIFT Model - eBook "One of the biggest challenges that writers face is finding credible sources. Mike Caulfield created the SIFT acronym to describe four moves that writers should make to evaluate their sources."
• Choosing & Using Sources: A Guide to Academic Research by Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries - eBook Section 6: Evaluating Information includes chapters on thinking critically, evaluating for relevancy and credibility, and identifying degree of bias.
• How to Spot Fake News Infographic "IFLA has made this infographic with eight simple steps (based on FactCheck.org’s 2016 article How to Spot Fake News) to discover the verifiability of a given news-piece in front of you." -- IFLA

What Does Peer Review Mean?

Peer Review is "the process by which an academic journal passes a paper submitted for publication to independent experts, or others in the same occupation, for comments on its suitability and worth." Reviewers will evaluate the article for quality, credibility, and accuracy. - Oxford English Dictionary  

There are different types of Peer Review:

• Authors and reviewers both know each other’s identities and affiliations
• Authors do not know who the reviewers are
• Reviewers know the identities and affiliations of the authors 
• Reviewers do not know who the authors are
• All indicators are removed (names and affiliations)

Not all journals are peer-reviewed - verify a journal is peer-reviewed by checking the author guidelines and publication information on the journal's website (a simple Google search of the journal title will work). Peer-reviewed journals do contain information that is itself not peer-reviewed, such as editorials, opinions, or letters. 

Remember to evaluate the article, not just the journal! 

• Video: Peer Review in 3 Minutes by NCSU Libraries
• Video: All About Peer Review by CSUDH Library
• Video: Identify a Peer Reviewed Article by USC Libraries

Study Help: Evaluating Information - University of South Australia

People write for many different reasons - to inform, entertain, persuade, mislead, satirize, describe, etc. and the quality of the information can depend on the reason it was written or shared. Information changes as new facts, data, and knowledge comes to light. In an academic assignment, it is important to use information that is  reliable, accurate, objective , and  up-to-date.  You will need to evaluate  each source you locate, to determine if it is something that will support or contradict your thesis and/or topic. You will look at more sources than you need, and that is okay, and encouraged! The more sources you read, the more informed you are about the topic and can pick the best resources for your assignment. 

The video below, created and produced by the University of South Australia Librarians, provides tips on evaluating information using the C.R.A.A.P. test.

Study Help: Scholarly Sources Explained - University of South Australia

A scholarly article, sometimes referred to as a peer-reviewed article, is one that's been written by a scholar in the field. Its intended audience is other scholars in the area and it is intended to share research about a topic. When it is peer-reviewed, other scholars and experts in the field review the article and make recommendations before it is published.

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• Last Updated: Jan 17, 2024 6:16 PM
• URL: https://guides.libraries.wright.edu/eng3560

Assessing and Evaluating Sources

Learning how to evaluate sources can save valuable time in the research process and increase the effectiveness of your papers. This guide introduces you to the things experienced researchers consider when evaluating their sources.

Consider a Source's Purpose and Audience

Understanding the purpose and audience of a source will help determine its usefulness for your research project. A general reference source in a library serves a much different purpose than an editorial in a newspaper, an advertisement in a magazine, or a website providing information about a product or service.

Similarly, sources targeting an audience of experts in a particular field contain different kinds of information than those written for a general audience.

Those written for technical experts assume an audience with a great deal of background knowledge. Typically, these sources skip general treatments of a topic in favor of detailed discussions tailored to experts.

In contrast, sources written for general audiences provide background information for their readers.

Consider a Source's Author(s)

Writers use sources for a variety of purposes: to support a point, to illustrate a range of positions on an issue and to show that they are not alone in their opinions, to name a few. With rare exceptions (such as when you are illustrating divergent opinions), the authors you cite should be reliable and trustworthy. Prioritizing peer-reviewed sources when conducting research is a good way to ensure credibility.

A Note on Field Sources: When conducting field research, you are actually selecting the sources (or "authors") of your information. In the case of an interview, for example, a selected "authority" provides you with specific data and informed opinions on your subject. Similarly, in a study or questionnaire a group of people act as the source/author within a particular setting or environment that you intend to observe.

Similarly, but in a more general sense, you select a group of people to which you intend to distribute a questionnaire or a particular setting or environment that you intend to observe.

Who is the Author? What are His or Her Credentials?

Check the library catalog also to see if the author you are considering is listed in any specialized reference works such as Who's Who, Contemporary Authors or American Men and Women of Science .

Inclusion in reference works such as these does not necessarily guarantee their trustworthiness, but it will provide you with a more informed idea of the author's background.

When your source is a weekly newsmagazine like Time, Newsweek, or U.S. News & World Report, the author is likely to be a reporter. Though weekly news magazines do occasionally feature articles by experts, and all have solid reputations for careful fact-checking and presenting fair ranges of opinion, be aware that the opinions of editors may be present as well.

When obtaining information from certain online sources, it may be difficult to find and evaluate the author's credentials. If they are not provided, consider emailing the author with a formal inquiry.

When in doubt, carefully consider whether using a particular author's information is worthwhile. Weigh the pros and cons. Ultimately, the best measure of someone's authority is whether their work meets the standards and critical demands of other recognized authorities. Ask your instructor and other knowledgeable experts on campus what they know about the author.

What are the Author's Professional Affiliations?

Expect differences in opinion among leaders of various political parties or types of organizations. An editorial about preserving wetlands written by the president of the Sierra Club will be a lot different than one written by a lobbyist for a real estate organization.

Although it's rare to find a complete listing of an author's affiliations, many periodicals, both in print and online, provide brief descriptions of an article or column's author. Check these descriptions for clues about an author's affiliations.

If you are interested in learning more about them, consider searching online. Many authors have personal homepages on which they list information about themselves, their educational background, professional experience, and personal interests.

What are the Author's Biases?

Every author holds opinions that affect his or her discussion of an issue, opinions that you as a reader must try to recognize and understand. Even the most seemingly factual report, such as an encyclopedia article, can carry an understated or implied judgment. Such judgments reflect an author's bias or preference for one side of an issue over another.

As you evaluate a source, consider whether the author's bias affects his or her presentation of information and opinions. Ask whether this results in one side of an issue being treated more favorably than another. To explore an author's biases, you must ask where his or her allegiances lie. Is the bias hidden or stated? Ask yourself if you need to look for a balancing viewpoint or approach?

Just because an author has a strong bias does not mean that he or she has written something invalid. Accurate data is accurate data. However, in the interest of being prepared to fend off attacks from those who want to challenge your analysis or argument, it is best if you recognize early on what biases an author might hold.

What if a Source does not identify its Author?

When an author's identity is withheld, as is occasionally the case with newspaper articles and elsewhere online, try to identify the sponsoring company or publisher and proceed from there. An organization can be examined for quality and credibility, just like an individual author.

If you're working with a print source that does not list an author, consider the nature of the publication: is it a nationally respected newspaper or a supermarket tabloid? Is it a brochure or pamphlet published by an organization recognized as a leader in its field? Bias and factuality will vary based on both the nature of the publication and the organization behind it.

Consider a Source's Publishing Bias

As you evaluate a source, consider its publisher. The person, organization, government agency, or corporation that prints or electronically distributes a source plays an important role in shaping its content. Like authors, publishers usually have a bias about a particular topic or issue.

A corporate publisher, such as Microsoft, will present its own products and services more favorably than those of its competitors because the main goal of a corporation is always to make profits. Similarly, political organizations, such as the Democratic Party or the National Rifle Association, will publish sources that contain information in support of policies favored by their respective organization.

Information gathered online and from periodicals are most likely to reflect a publisher's bias.

Strategies for Evaluating a Website

To learn more about the publisher of a website, try to locate its disclaimers. Look for their "site information" or "about" links and examine them carefully. If you are visiting a website sponsored by an organization or agency, find out where their mission statement is located and examine it carefully as well.

Of course, there are a multitude of different kinds of websites online including social media, forums, news sites, and so many others. You should adjust your criteria for evaluating a website based on what its intended use and audience are.

Here are some questions you might ask when evaluating a website:

• Was the site created for particular commercial purposes, such as selling a product or service?
• Is the site devoted to a particular political cause or causes?
• Is the site developed by a particular organization or government agency?
• If you are reading a newsgroup or mailing list, is it a general interest group or one devoted to a particular cause?
• If you are reading a book, what does the name of the publisher tell you about the intended audience?
• Is this publisher known for publishing works in a specific field with a specific political agenda?
• If you are reading a periodical, does it have a predictable point of view? The Nation, a magazine of commentary from a left-leaning political point of view, is likely to give you a different picture of the world from that found in the National Review, edited by conservative William F. Buckley, Jr.

Strategies for Evaluating a Periodical

To learn more about the publisher of a periodical, take a moment to skim through it and note the following:

• Editorials - An editorial sets forth views held by the editors and publishers of a particular magazine and they make no pretense of being impartial. Often, they are located in the front section and, since the author's names are on the masthead, near the table of contents, they may not even be signed. If you find an editorial commenting on an issue with which you are familiar, you may discover the bias of the magazine's publisher.
• Featured Columnists - Generally, though not always, the job of a columnist depends on his or her ability to voice opinions congenial to those held by the magazine's editors and publishers. When a dissenting columnist is hired, it is to provide an opposing view. Examining a magazine's feature columns, and the authors who write them, will provide you with valuable insight regarding a publisher's biases and sense of fair play.
• Lead Stories - The lead story in a magazine is usually the one placed most prominently in a given issue and its cover will often reflect the particular slant a publisher favors. Skimming the first and last few paragraphs of a lead story will often reveal the writer's overall message. You can then make a decision regarding whether or not to read the entire article.
• Letters to the Editor - The level of education and intelligence of a magazine's readers can often be deduced by the letters written to its editor, but the political positions of the magazine's publisher are not always decipherable from them, since many, such as Time, strive to offer space for the airing of a diversity of opinions.
• Advertisements - Ads are an excellent guide to a magazine's audience. To whom are its editors trying to appeal? The many ads for office copiers, delivery services, hotels, and corporations in Newsweek, for instance, reveal that the magazine's appeal is to well-educated professionals.

Consider a Source's Publication Medium

As a researcher, you may find that your sources are published in a variety of mediums; for instance, print sources, electronic sources, and field sources.

Questions to Ask about Print Sources

• Is the source relevant to your research project? Is it related to your argumentative claim? Does the table of contents in a book indicate its relevance? Does an article contain an abstract that summarizes its contents?
• What is the purpose of the publication? Is it to sell a product or service? Is it to inform? Is it to publish new research? Is it to shape opinion about a particular issue or cause?
• Who is the author of your source? Is information provided about the author's credentials and profession? Is the author an expert on the topic? Does the author's stance on the topic appear to influence information in the source?
• What can you tell about the publisher? Is the publisher a nationally respected newspaper, such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, or Newsweek? Is the publisher a major publishing corporation, such as Bedford/St. Martins or Houghton Mifflin? Is the source found in an academic or professional journal, such as College English or the New England Journal of Medicine?
• Are your chosen sources documented? Is the information consistent with that found in other print, electronic and field sources?
• How specialized is your source's information? Does it provide a broad overview of an issue? Does it focus on a narrow topic using highly specialized jargon? Will your audience be able to understand key terms from the source? Do you understand the key ideas in the source?
• What is the date of publication? Is the information contained in the document current? Does it need to be? Depending on your topic, it may not.

Questions to Ask about Electronic Sources

• Is the source relevant to your research project? Is it related to your argumentative claim?
• Who is the author of your source? If your source is a webpage, is any information provided about the author? Is an email address provided so that you might contact the author?
• Are the sources of information provided on the website, newsgroup, or forum provided? Is the information you found consistent with proven information found in print sources and on other websites?
• If you're evaluating a website that’s sponsored by an organization, government agency, or corporation, what do you know about the sponsor? Is a bias clearly evident in the material provided on the site? Is this a commercial site whose goal is to sell a product or service? Is this a site that pushes a particular issue or political agenda?
• What do you know about the purpose of your online source? Is a FAQ (frequently asked questions) page available? Is it clear from the site’s content whether or not there is a general bias present?
• How specialized is the information in the source? Does the source provide a broad overview of an issue? Does it focus on a narrow topic using highly specialized jargon? Will your audience be able to understand key terms from the source? Do you understand the key ideas in the source?
• Can you tell when the website was published? Can you determine whether it has been updated recently? Is the information published on the site current or out of date?

Questions to Ask about Field Sources

• Does your source seem biased or prejudiced? If so, is this bias or prejudice so strong that you have to discount some of the information?
• Have you compared different people's opinions or accounts? In general, the more viewpoints, the better.
• Does the information from your source agree with published accounts in print or Internet sources? If not, can you think of a good reason why this would be so?
• Is any of your evidence hearsay, one person telling you the thoughts of another or telling you about comments or actions that he or she hasn't witnessed? If so, can you support or discount your source's view by comparing it with other evidence?
• If an interviewee or questionnaire respondent has told you about past events, has time possibly distorted his or her memory?
• If you have tried to question a random sampling of people, do you feel that they are truly representative? If you have tried to question everyone in a group, have you been thorough enough?
• Have you identified the time, place, and participants in your field research?
• Do you have access to the source? Can you find the time to visit or contact the source to obtain the information you are seeking?
• Have you obtained permission to use information from someone you've interviewed, surveyed, or observed? Have you asked them whether you can use their names in your paper or whether they would prefer that you protect their confidentiality?

Consider a Source's Publication Date

It's very important that the information and evidence you are planning on presenting come from sources that are as reliable, up-to-date and relevant as possible.

Information regarding the most recent discoveries, technical advances and developments in all fields of endeavor are published on a regular basis and you should include them in your research.

If you cite twenty-year-old sources regarding procedures for treating AIDS, for instance, your research would not include the latest findings and treatments in that field. Your information would be dated and not necessarily valid.

When using older materials, do so when their value has held up over time or your research paper specifically calls for the inclusion of an historical perspective.

Consider a Source's Degree of Specialization

Some sources are considered to be general; that is, they are written for a general-interest audience. Newspapers and popular magazines typically provide general information about a topic or issue. In contrast, highly specialized publications are written for specific, specialized audiences such as microbiologists, mortgage bankers, or auto mechanics.

General sources can be helpful as you begin your research, but as your project develops you may need the deeper authority of specialized sources to provide the latest information on your topic. Keep in mind when using extremely specialized works that you may get people in over their heads. Be sure to explain information that your audience needs to understand if they are to grasp the conclusions you arrive at in your paper.

Consider a Source's Role in Your Research

For some papers it may be appropriate to cite an article in a popular magazine, and for others it may be necessary to cite the research findings published in the scholarly journal on which the magazine article was based. So, why use one source over another?

You must consider what role the source will play in your paper. Ask yourself, is the information it contains useful for your purposes as a writer? Does the source contain strong quotations or hard facts that would be effective in your final paper? Is it relevant, in terms of the subject matter and in the way it tackles it?

Remember, what you're looking for is the best possible sources for your particular paper. Ask yourself not only "Will this do?" but "Will something else be better?"

Consider, as well, how using this source in your paper will affect the future direction of your research. Does it contain information that challenges your assumptions about the topic? Does it present any strong evidence against your position that you must then counter or refute with opposing evidence?

Does it suggest a new direction that might be more interesting? Your research project will probably grow and change as you learn more about it. It's wise to check in with yourself now and again to make sure you have a clear direction and if it's the same as you began with, or completely new.

Finally, consider whether a source is directly relevant to your research question. It's surprisingly easy to get sidetracked by a persuasive book, article, or website on a topic that is only slightly connected to the direction of your research.

Consider a Source's Origins: Are they Primary or Secondary?

A primary source is a firsthand account written by an eyewitness or a participant. It contains raw data and immediate impressions. For example, primary sources for a large fire caused by a gas leak would include the statements of victims and witnesses, the article written by a journalist who was at the scene, and the report of the fire chief in charge of putting out the blaze.

A secondary source is an analysis of the information contained in one or more primary sources. For example, a second journalist, using the article on the large fire and gas leak as background for a story on industrial accidents, or a historian using the same for a book on urban life in the twentieth century are secondary sources.

For most research papers, both primary and secondary sources will be used. Secondary sources are no less trustworthy than firsthand reports. Remember, eyewitnesses can be prejudiced, self-serving, or simply less informed than a later writer who has synthesized many eyewitness accounts.

In writing a history paper on the attitudes of American social workers toward World War I, you might quote a primary source: Jane Addams, founder of Chicago's Hull House, who was a pacifist. If you relied only on Addams' words alone, however, your reader might get the idea that social workers were unanimously opposed to the war effort. To put Addams' views into perspective, you'd also want to include secondary sources, showing that most of her peers did not identify with pacifism and publicly disagreed with her.

When you find yourself repeatedly citing a fact or source, as quoted in someone else's analysis, it might be wise to go to the primary source from which it came. For example, statistics are often used by both sides arguing an issue-often it's only the interpretation that differs. You might find it useful to go back to the original research (the publication of which is a primary source) and learn where the facts end and the interpretation begins.

Consider a Source's Evidence: Is it Accurate & Balanced?

The evidence provided by a source (its information, opinions, and ideas) will tell you a great deal about its reliability and usefulness. As you evaluate a source, consider whether the evidence is carefully put together, complete and up to date.

Consider the thesis, if any, and whether it is supported or defended by the presentation of credible evidence. Ask whether the argument or analysis is convincing. If the source seems slipshod, or leaves several important questions unanswered, you might do better to look for another source.

To evaluate the evidence in a source, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the author's main point?
• How much and what kind of evidence supports that point?
• How persuasive is the evidence? Does it support your argument?
• Is there any questionable or misleading logic/reasoning?
• Can you offer credible arguments contrary to the evidence?

Working with Field Sources: When working in the field, ask similar questions to those already mentioned regarding the evidence provided and the credibility of its sources. Ask yourself:

• When interviewing someone or attending a public lecture, are the responses provided to your questions consistent with those provided to others?
• Does the speaker or person being interviewed provide corroborative evidence supporting the claims being made?
• When analyzing the results of a questionnaire, are the respondent's answers consistent, serious, and honest?
• When you observe a particular event or setting, do the people involved know that they are being observed? People often change their behavior in those circumstances.

Additional Resources

Chamberlain University Press - ' Evaluating Sources '

John Hopkins: Sheridan Libraries - ‘ Evaluating Information ’

Purdue OWL - ‘ Evaluating Digital Sources ’

Purdue OWL - ‘ Evaluating Sources: General Guidelines ’

University of Maryland Libraries - ‘ Evaluating Websites ’

USC Libraries - ‘ Evaluating Sources ’

Palmquist, Mike, Peter Connor & Andrea Bennett. (2022). Evaluating Sources. Writing@CSU . Colorado State University. https://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=15

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Evaluating Sources

 As you gather sources for your research, you’ll need to know how to assess the validity and reliability of the materials you find.

Keep in mind that the sources you find have all been put out there by groups, organizations, corporations, or individuals who have some motivation for getting this information to you. To be a good researcher, you need to learn how to assess the materials you find and determine their reliability—before deciding if you want to use them and, if so, how you want to use them.

Whether you are examining material in books, journals, magazines, newspapers, or websites, you want to consider several issues before deciding if and how to use the material you have found.

Source Suitability

Does the source fit your needs and purpose?

Before you start amassing large amounts of research materials, think about the types of materials you will need to meet the specific requirements of your project.

Overview Materials

Encyclopedias, general interest magazines (Time, Newsweek online), or online general news sites (CNN, MSNBC) are good places to begin your research to get an overview of your topic and the big questions associated with your particular project. But once you get to the paper itself, you may not want to use these for your main sources.

Focused Lay Materials

For a college-level research paper, you need to look for books, journal articles, and websites that are put out by organizations that do in-depth work for the general public on issues related to your topic. For example, an article on the melting of the polar icecaps in Time magazine offers you an overview of the issue. But such articles are generally written by non-scientists for a non-scientific audience that wants a general—not an in-depth—understanding of the issue. Although you’ll want to start with overview materials to give yourself the broad-stroke understanding of your topic, you’ll soon need to move to journals and websites in the field. For example, instead of looking at online stories on the icecaps from CNN, you should look at the materials at the website for the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) or reports found at the website for the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). You also should look at some of the recent reports on the polar icecaps in Scientific American or The Ecologist.

Specialists’ Materials

If you already have a strong background in your topic area, you could venture into specialists’ books, journals, and websites. For example, only someone with a strong background in the field would be able to read and understand the papers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences or the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. Sources such as these are suitable for more advanced research paper assignments in upper-level courses, but you may encounter source requirements like these in freshman writing courses.

Authorship & Authority

When you consider the quality of your sources, you should also consider the authorship and authority of your sources. Who wrote the material? Is that person or organization credible? The following will provide you with more details on authorship and authority to help you make good decisions about your sources.

Publisher-Provided Biographical Information

Often, books and scholarly journals will have a short biography of the author, outlining her or his credentials: education, publications, and experience in the field.

Look the biography over. Does the material there seem to suggest this writer has in-depth knowledge on the topic? What educational credentials does the writer have? If the writer is a trained economist but is writing on scientific matters, you need to keep that in mind as you look at her or his arguments. If the writer is associated with a specific conservative or liberal think tank, be aware that the arguments presented will probably reflect the ideology of that organization.

An ideological agenda does not mean that you have to avoid material. You simply need to read it with an awareness that the writer is writing from a specific point of view.

Minimal qualifications or qualifications that seem unrelated to the topic are a warning sign to you that you might want to reconsider using the material.

Outside Biographical Information

If no biography is attached to the work, an advanced search on Google or another search engine can be very helpful. You might also check hard copy or online sources such as Contemporary Authors, Book Review Index, or Biography index.

Many authors also have their own websites, listing information about their educational background, current and past research, and experience.

If you can find no or little information about a writer, be careful about using her or his material. You may want to consider replacing it altogether with a different source where the credentials of the writer are more readily available.

No Author Listed

While you want to be careful of sources without authors, that doesn’t mean you can’t use them. Often, websites won’t list an author. In that case, you need to evaluate the sponsoring organization. Look for the following information:

• Does the home page offer information about the organization?
• Is there a mission statement?
• Does the site offer any indication that the material on the webpage has been reviewed or checked by experts, often called a “peer-review process”?
• Does the site provide a link with an address, phone, and email?

Yes — If you find only some of the points from the bulleted list, try filling in the blanks with an internet search on the organization. Often, an encyclopedia — online or hard copy — provides background information on an organization. Try to find out a little bit about who funds it, who its audience is, and what its objectives are.

Again, discovering that an organization has specific ideological ties does not mean that you need to discard the material you have found there. You simply need to use it carefully and balance it with material from other sources.

No — If the answer to all of the bulleted questions is “no,” be careful!

A site that provides no information about its sponsors is a site that you should avoid using for your paper.

If no one is willing to put her or his name on the site and accept responsibility for the information, do you think you should trust that information for your research? Definitely not.

Documentation

Where does the book / article / website get its information?

Look for a bibliography and / or footnotes. In a piece of writing that is making a case using data, historical or scientific references, or appeals to outside sources of any kind, those sources should be thoroughly documented. The writer should give you enough information to go and find those sources yourself and double-check that the materials are used accurately and fairly by the author.

Popular news magazines, such as Time or Newsweek online, will generally not have formal bibliographies or footnotes with their articles. The writers of these articles will usually identify their sources within their texts, referring to studies, officials, or other texts. These types of articles, though not considered academic, may be acceptable for some undergraduate college-level research papers. Check with your instructor to make sure that these types of materials are allowed as sources in your paper.

Examine the sources used by the author. Is the author depending heavily on just one or two sources for his or her entire argument? That’s a red flag for you. Is the author relying heavily on anonymous sources? There’s another red flag. Are the sources outdated? Another red flag.

If references to outside materials are missing or scant, you should treat this piece of writing with skepticism. Consider finding an alternative source with better documentation.

Timely Sources

Is the material up-to-date.

The best research draws on the most current work in the field. That said, depending on the discipline, some work has a longer shelf life than others. For example, important articles in literature, art, and music often tend to be considered current for years, or even decades, after publication. Articles in the physical sciences, however, are usually considered outdated within a year or two (or even sooner) after publication.

In choosing your materials, you need to think about the argument you’re making and the field (discipline) within which you’re making it.

For example, if you’re arguing that climate change is indeed anthropogenic (human-caused), do you want to use articles published more than four or five years ago? No. Because the science has evolved very rapidly on that question, you need to depend most heavily on research published within the last year or two.

However, suppose you’re arguing that blues music evolved from the field songs of American slaves. In this case, you should not only look at recent writing on the topic (within the last five years), but also look at historical assessments of the relationship between blues and slavery from previous decades.

Timeliness and Websites

Scrutinize websites, in particular, for dates of posting or for the last time the site was updated. Some sites have been left up for months or years without the site’s owner returning to update or monitor the site. If sites appear to have no regular oversight, you should look for alternative materials for your paper.

Evaluating Online Sources

Friebolin, C. (2012, July 24). Can't lie on the internet [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/bufTna0WArc

You may have seen the commercial above making a point about how you have to be careful of what you find on the internet. This is true in life and in your efforts to find quality sources for academic papers.

The internet is particularly challenging because anyone can really post anything they want on the internet. At the same time, there are some really quality sources out there, such as online journals.

The important thing is to use skepticism, use the guidelines you have read about in this section of Research, and be sure to ask your professor if general web sources are even allowed. Sometimes, in an effort to have students steer clear of inaccurate information, professors will forbid general web sources for a paper, but this is not always the case. If you are allowed to go to the web to locate sources, just remember to check for suitability , credibility , and timeliness using the guidelines presented in this section.

Using the Evaluation Checklist will also give you some good guidelines to remember, no matter where you found your source.

Evaluation Checklist

The Source Evaluation Checklist found below should prove helpful as you evaluate your sources. There are two versions of the checklist. The first is a printable PDF file, and the second is an interactive PDF file.  In some browsers, you may need to download or save this file to be able to utilize all of its functionality.

• Printable Checklist
• Interactive Checklist

This material was developed by Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL) and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-4.0 International License . You are free to use, adapt, and/or share this material as long as you properly attribute. Please keep this information on materials you use, adapt, and/or share for attribution purposes. 

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Writing Workshop: MSP 3196

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Evaluating Sources

There is no simple formula for evaluating sources; evaluation always depends on the facts of your own rhetorical situation.

Here is a basic framework you can use to evaluate your rhetorical situation and analyze how well your sources support it.

Is the source useful to you?

• Does it provide the kind of information you need?
• Does it meet your assignment requirements?
• Does it make you think? Did it spark further questions or suggest additional lines of inquiry?
• Does it help you contextualize or understand other sources?

Is this the type of source your audience expects you to use?

• Is it at the right level — not too difficult nor too easy for your audience?
• Will it give you more credibility with your audience if you use it?
• If you are not sure about what your audience expects, how can you find out?

Who created the source?

• Is the author identified AND if they are, are they someone you find credible?
• If the author is not identified, is there a group or institution responsible for the source? Do you find that group credible?
• Have you done whatever additional research you need to do to decide if the author is credible or useful?

What is the author’s (or institution’s or agency’s) purpose in creating this source?

• Are they trying to persuade you to do or think something specific?
• Are they selling something?
• Does their purpose or agenda affect the quality of their evidence? Did it affect how they presented it?
• Do they articulate their agenda themselves?
• Does what they say about their agenda match what others say?

(If the source is a scholarly one) is it a good example of research in the discipline?

NOTE: For many of these questions, you may need help figuring out the answers. Do you know enough about research in this discipline to answer this question? Asking professors in the field, or librarians who work with this literature, may help.

• Do they use citations, footnotes, etc. to connect their work to the rest of the field?
• Is the source referenced (used and cited) by other scholars you’ve found?
• Is it current enough to meet your needs?
• Was it published in a journal or other source important in the field? How do you know?

This framework is adapted from one created by Oregon State University librarian Anne-Marie Deitering in The Academic Writer, by Lisa Ede

Tips for Doing Your Own Fact-Checking

What is a fact.

A fact is a statement that can be verified. A statement of opinion is not a fact. As a fact-checker, you are working with content that is written, not researching new material. Therefore, you must read the document and identify and extract all content in need of fact checking.

How Do You Fact-Check?

The first step is to read through the entire document. Next, read the document again, this time highlighting, underlining, or marking all facts that can be verified, including phrasing and word choices such as “always” and “exactly." The following are common places to start when fact-checking:

• Always ask yourself, “Who would know this?” to find the best resource.
• Always ask, “Does this make sense?”
• Check assertions about scientific theories and evidence. Sometimes, the easiest way to do this will be to contact scientists in the field; other times, the information will be well-established in the literature.
• Confirm statistics.
• Check all proper names, titles, product names, place names, locations, etc.
• Check terms used. Are they commonplace and agreed upon in the scientific community? Do they need clarification?
• Check declarative statements, for example, “…this is a big deal,” “the area is huge,” "always," "exactly," etc. The reason it is a “big deal” (how “huge” is the area?) should be explained in the text. If it isn’t, find out why: Is it a big deal because of money, time, compared with something else?
• Be particularly cautious of facts stated absolutely.
• Verify any numbers used in the article.

Verify Facts

Choose quality resources to verify facts. In addition to many of the resources listed throughout this guide, databases that provide background information contained in dictionaries/encyclopedias are good starting points because of their quick overviews and easy-to-read nature. Try some of the following:

• Credo Reference This link opens in a new window Contains a collection of core reference materials across many subject areas.
• Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window Contains a collection of core reference materials across many subject areas.

[Some of this text is from  www.scienceliteracyproject.org  authored by Jennifer Jongsma. ]

Fact Checking Websites

Fact-checking sites are useful tools for helping users distinguish between the truth and rumors. Like all websites, fact-checking sites may have biases towards a certain group or issue. Take time to evaluate who is running the site, how the site is funded, and what type of information is being provided when using these types of sites.

• Politifact Rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics.
• FactCheck.org Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
• Snopes.com Attempts to debunk and validate urban legends, Internet rumors and other stories of uncertain origin.

Videos on Evaluating Sources

Evaluating sources for credibility.

Assessing Expertise

Lateral Reading

Videos on Reading Strategies

E-reading strategies.

Understanding Academese

Reading & Interpreting Sources

• How relevant is this material to your research question?
• Does the source include counterarguments that you should address?
• How persuasive is the evidence? Does it represent opposing viewpoints fairly? Will the source be convincing to your audience?
• Will you need to change your thesis to account for this information?
• What quotations or paraphrases from this source might you want to use?

Adapted from  Easy Writer (4th ed.)

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Evaluating Sources

Do a background check on the author and publisher of the material. Do they support a particular political or religious view that could be affecting their objectivity in the piece? If they are associated with a special-interest group (i.e. the American Library Association or Keep America Safe), this might also be an indication of bias, unless alternative views are presented and addressed with appropriate respect.

Assess the Argument

Identify the author’s main claim. What are they arguing is true or untrue? Pay attention to what the author uses to support their claim – do you find relevant evidence or just emotional examples? Statistics should be used consistently and fairly, with an explanation of where they came from. Check for logical fallacies in the author’s argument and make sure the author considers opposing viewpoints.

About Writing: A Guide Copyright © 2015 by Robin Jeffrey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Writing Workshop: Evaluating Sources That Support a Claim Quiz – Flashcards

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• Enter your topic/question
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• Ask one question at a time
• Enter a specific assignment topic
• Aim at least 500 characters
• a topic sentence that states the main or controlling idea
• supporting sentences to explain and develop the point you’re making
• evidence from your reading or an example from the subject area that supports your point
• analysis of the implication/significance/impact of the evidence finished off with a critical conclusion you have drawn from the evidence.