Critically evaluating and analyzing your resources is a very important step in the research process because it helps ensure that your scholarship is based on sound evidence. On this page you will find resources to help you evaluate your sources.
Criteria for Evaluating Sources
It is important to evaluate all sources you plan to use. Before deciding to use a source, be sure to ask the following questions.
Currency and Relevance: Is the source current and relevant to your topic?
Author Authority: Is the creator of the material an expert in the field?
Audience and Purpose: Who is the intended audience for this material and why was it created?
Accuracy and Completeness: How does this source compare to similar sources? Is it reliable and thorough?
Documentation: Did the author provide complete and accurate citations for their sources? Can you easily locate the sources cited by the author?
Bias: What biases might the creator have and how do these shape the arguments and evidence they present?
**This list is based on a list found in The Information-Literate Historian by Jenny Presnell.
The Information Literate Historian
The Information-Literate Historian by ISBN: 9780199926046Publication Date: 2012-08-01The Information-Literate Historian is the only book specifically designed to teach today's history students how to successfully select and use sources-primary, secondary, and electronic-to carry out and present their research. Expanded and updated, the second edition of TheInformation-Literate Historian continues to be an indispensable reference for historians, students, and other readers doing history research.
Evaluating Sources
Evaluating Websites
How to Use Wikipedia for Academic Research
Ulrich's Web
- Ulrich's Periodical DirectoryNeed to know if the journal a given article comes from is peer-reviewed? Find detailed information on more than 300,000 periodicals including: academic and scholarly journals, e-journals, peer-reviewed titles, popular magazines, newspapers and newsletters.