Government-affiliated websites end in .gov. The more questions you can answer "yes", the more likely the Web site is one of quality. Evaluate sources of information by examining them for authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage. The author's level of expertise on the topic he or she is writing about could take the form of an advanced degree or other extensive experience in the field. 2015. How can you tell if a source is primary or secondary? For web sources, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy. Name recognition is often the first thing you consider to determine reliability. Begin your in-depth evaluation with any landmark studies in your field of research, or with sources that youre sure are related to your research topic. You should search for additional texts on the topic to find related sources, sources in which this source is cited, and sources that cite this source in order to get a stronger picture of its intellectual relevance and value. 4.6. Your resources need to be recent enough for your topic. Last Updated: December 13, 2022 Websites that end in .edu also fall into the category of sometimes credible. Individual faculty often provide course websites that include information pertinent to classes they teach. Propaganda often relies on slogans or emotionally-charged images to influence an audience. Websites are not subject to the peer-review and editing process that academic journals or books go through, and can be published by anyone at any time. Verify the information you already know against the information found in the source. Foods that are easily accessible and quick to prepare are more likely to be eaten. 4. The process of evaluating scholarly materials also enhances your general skills and ability to: This is not necessarily bad, but it will depend on who published it, why it was published, and how you intend to use the material. For example, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals will provide only that information which supports their cause, whereas the U.S. Don't dismiss it completely; Gregor Mendel's work was cited only three times, criticized, and ignored for 35 years before his discoveries in genetics were recognized in the field of science. If so, it's really important to find reliable sources to reference! Facts are objective, while opinions and propaganda are subjective. Understanding which articles are clickbait helps you evaluate your sources for credibility. 2 Mar. ACRL Framework: Authority is Constructed and Contextual However, the veracity and reliability of online news sources can vary enormouslybe sure to pay careful attention to authority here. Revised on This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. If the author is affiliated with a reputable institution or organization, what are its values and goals? While not all large organizations produce unbiased information, more well-known organizations will most likely provide more credible information. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. Are the journals policies on copyright and peer review easily available? How you evaluate the relevance of a source will depend on your topic, and on where you are in the research process. Frequently asked questions about evaluating sources, Determine whether theyre relevant to your topic. If at all possible, look for that same information from a peer-reviewed source, rather than a professors personal .edu source. There are a few criteria to look at right away when assessing a source. There is a way to contact the author or publisher of my source. As you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. The Purdue OWL is clearly the only safe choice for student writers. 3) Currency. Objective language sticks to the facts, but emotional language relies on garnering an emotional response from the reader. Clickbait is a type of sensationalized advertisement that seeks to attract viewers through catchy or seemingly unbelievable headlines. As you dig deeper into your scholarly research, books and academic journals are usually your best bet. What are examples of academic dishonesty? However, the deeper you get into your topic, the more comprehensive your research will need to be. By using an algorithm, SEO works by locating keywords and sorting information for relevancy and accuracy. Fact: The Purdue OWL was launched in 1994. Students are always told, Never use Wikipedia. Thats true you should never cite Wikipedia for multiple reasons: its written anonymously, so you cant know the credibility of the author, and its continually updated, so its not a stable source. Its important to evaluate the sources youre considering using, in order to: You should have a clear idea of your own research question or topic and think critically when evaluating sources. In fact, even Wikipedia itself encourages its users to take caution when gathering information from its site. If you have never heard of the source, you probably should do some research to learn about it. The more familiar you become with your topic, the easier it will be for you to evaluate the evidence in your sources. The more radical the ideas presented in the source (in comparison to other sources on the same subject) the more carefully you should scrutinize it. Images should be evaluated like any other source, such as journal . What Are Credible Sources & How to Spot Them | Examples. An article that has been peer-reviewed is credible, but it still might . Templates for well-designed websites are inexpensive and easily available. Possible consequences include misinformation of yourself and others by trusting the claims of a source that might not be reliable, and damage to your own writing reputation. Consider your audience and compare with a variety of sources. As you navigate through different sources, you need to examine the authors and the websites other credentials before making assumptions simply by the domain extension. The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching. Evaluating Sources: General Guidelines Once you have an idea of the types of sources you need for your research, you can spend time evaluating individual sources. Similarly, YouTube videos can either be posted by a large organization or a single user. Does the information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic? All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Beware of grandiose claims, and critically analyze anything not cited or backed up by evidence. However, if you are examining an historical event, you may want to find primary documents from the time of the event, thus requiring older sources. [For academic journals]: My source is peer-reviewed and published in a reputable and established journal. Learn what questions to ask and some strategies to apply for determining if your source is or isn't appropriate for your project. By using our site, you agree to our. Audience. At the bottom of most Wikipedia pages, you can find a list of sources that will take you to other pages (see image below). Eoghan Ryan. Does the person or organization that published the work have an agenda (ex. Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. As you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. Timeliness. Evaluating source credibility is an important information literacy skill. While social media is not regularly used as a source in research, sometimes you might use a YouTube video or a tweet from a well-known individual. If youre reading an opinion-based source, ask yourself whether theres enough evidence to back up the opinions. When evaluating social media sites, its important to know more about a user beyond their username. It's important to evaluate the sources you're considering using, in order to: Ensure that they're credible. Perspective. Fish and Wildlife Services might provide the same family of information without agenda bias. by You can commit academic dishonesty with the best of intentions, such as helping a friend cheat on a paper. This means that the sources you reference need to be credible and authoritative. A good argument should be based on analysis and critique, and there should be a logical relationship between evidence and conclusions. What are possible consequences of not evaluating sources? Scribbr. Because of this cross-checking process, the articles you find in databases will usually be more reliable than sources you might find simply by looking for them using a search engine. Is the language objective or emotional? In others, texts can continue to be considered valuable for longer. Others may become caught up in a heavily unbalanced viewpoint and can take some timemonths perhapsto regain a better-balanced consensus (see Researching with Wikipedia). Scribbr. . Google Scholar also has a function called Cited By that can show you where the author has been cited. Podcasts are essentially audio files that can be streamed on a computer or mobile device, like portable radio. Thus, when examining sources for possible propaganda, be aware that sometimes groups may deploy pieces of true information in deceptive ways. However, you might not want to quote a tweet by someone with an anonymous name and a Twitter handle such as @iluvscience321. Below are some questions to consider once you've found a primary source (s): RUSA's Guide to Evaluating Primary Sources : Who is the author or creator? It's also important to choose credible sources, evaluate them critically, and use them effectively to support your argument. While its not encouraged to use Wikipedia as one of your main sources, Wikipedia can be used as a jumping-off point for other sources. Evaluating Primary Sources It is important to examine primary sources with a critical eye since they represent unfiltered records of the past. How do you determine credibility of evidence? Websites that end in .com or .org are credible if they're backed by respected institutions, but not if they have a clear bias or are created by a private individual. In general, while you will probably not use a lot of social media in your research, if you do, try to locate the people or groups behind the usernames. How do you evaluate the credibility of a source? Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Social media is simply defined as any type of digital space that allows users to create content and share it with others in a social setting. The questions below should be asked when evaluating any . 5 W information sourced from Springfield Technical Community College Library, University of Washington Libraries, and UCL Institute of Education Library guides. Sometimes simply typing an authors name into a search engine will give you an initial springboard for information. It is written by a trustworthy author or organization. Remember that scholarly sources often have a very particular audience in mind, and popular sources are written for a more general audience. Privacy policy. If the opinion feels one-sided, does the author acknowledge opposing viewpoints? Every source should contribute to the debate about its topic by taking a clear position. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/b\/b7\/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/b\/b7\/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg\/aid368290-v4-728px-Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-3-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"