Writing@CSU

Writing Guides

Evaluating Sources

Introduction

Consider the Purpose and Audience of a Source

Learn about the Author(s) of a Source

Who is the author, and what are his or her credentials?

Is the author a recognized authority?

With what institutions or organizations is the author affiliated?

In what ways does the author’s biases affect the source?

What if a source doesn’t identify its author?

Learn about the Publisher of a Source

Strategies for Evaluating the General Outlook of a Web Site

Strategies for Evaluating the General Outlook of Periodical

Consider the Accuracy and Balance of Evidence in a Source

Consider the Publication Date of a Source

Consider the Role a Source Can Play in Your Paper

Consider the Role of Primary and Secondary Sources

Consider the Level of Specialization of a Source

Consider the Medium in Which a Source is Published

Questions to ask about Print Sources

Questions to ask about Electronic Sources

Questions to ask about Field Sources

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Questions to Ask about Print Sources

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  • Is the source relevant to your research project? Is it related to your argumentative claim? For a book, does the table of contents suggest that it might be relevant? For an article, is there an abstract that summarizes the 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 sources of information documented? Is the information consistent with the information found in other print, electronic, or field sources?
  • 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?
  • What is the date of publication? Is the information contained in the document up to date? Is the topic one that needs to be up to date?

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