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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Consider Purpose and Audience

Understanding the purpose and audience of a source will help you determine whether it might be useful 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 Web site that provides information about a particular product or service. Similarly, a source written for an audience of experts in a particular field is likely to contain different kinds of information than one written for a general audience. Sources written for technical experts are likely to assume readers possess a great deal of background knowledge about the topic. These sources typically skip general treatments of the topic in favor of detailed discussions tailored to experts. In contrast, sources written for general audiences usually provide background information for readers.

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