DESPeration 101 - Introduction to Research: Evaluating Sources

As you begin to look at the resources that you’ve located, begin to take a close look at your information to make sure that it is credible, reliable and useful.

As yourself the following questions:

• Is it relevant to your topic?
• Is the date of publication appropriate?
• Is the author qualified?
  • What is the author’s education background and experience?
• What is the author’s purpose for writing the book or article?
  • To inform? To persuade? To sell? To advocate?
• How was the information obtained?
• Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
• Are there references or footnotes?
• Is the work primary or is it secondary?
• Who is the publisher for the work?
• Is the work popular or scholarly?

• Currency – the timeliness of the information – what was the last update of the web page?
• Has the theory been disproved since publication?
• Certain topics will change significantly in a short period of time, and you want to make sure that your information is current and informed.
• That’s not to say that older resources are not acceptable or relevant.
• Relevance – does the information meet your needs?
• Authority – can you trust the source? Who is the author or publisher? And their credentials
• Accuracy - is the information truthful, reliable and correct? Are there footnotes, a bibliography?
• Purpose - what is the information there for? To inform? Entertain? Sell you something?