Evaluating Resources

 

It is always a good practice to "consider the source" when you are gathering information for your topic. This applies to books, periodicals, and information on a web site as well as personal interviews. Some things to consider include:

• Consider the source -- Primary vs secondary sources (Who interprets an information source you or someone else?)
• Consider the author's/ authority's credentials (Is the work signed and is information about the author/authority's affiliation evident?)
• Audience (For whom is the information intended and what knowledge level is expected? Is the work scholarly or popular?)
• Accuracy (Is the information reliable and error free?)
• Objectivity (Is there a bias or strong opinion evident?)
• Currency (Is the information timely?)
• Coverage (Is the information complete? Does it offer in-depth material of value?)

For books and journals, such criteria as the credentials of the author, the publisher of the book or periodical, and the reputation or nature of the periodical (e.g., is it a scholarly journal?) are factors you want to check. There are a number of sites identified by the English Department to help you evaluate and cite web resources.

 

 

 

 

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