Evaluating &

Annotating
Your Sources
English 11

How do I know if
this is a good
Source?

Step 1:
Authority

Who published this source? Is it

a university press or a large
publisher? Is this from a
government agency? Is it selfpublished (blog)? What is the
purpose of this publication?

Other Questions to Ask:

- Where does the information in the
source come from? Does the
information seem to be valid and
well-researched, or is it questionable
and unsupported by evidence? Is
there a list of references or works
cited?
- Who is the author? What are the
authors credentials in this area?
Have you seen the authors name
cited in other sources?

- Is the content a first-hand account or

is it being retold?
Remember the difference between
primary and secondary sources.

Annotating For Authority:

Using diijo, use sticky
notes to interrogate your
sources. Highlight aspects
of the source and answer
some of the questions
listed in the prior slide in
relation to your source.

Example:

Step 2:
Currency

When was the source

published? Is the source
current or out of date for your
topic?

Annotating For Currency:

Just like you did
for authority,
interrogate your
source for
currency.

Step 3:
Purpose

What is the authors intention?

Is the information fact, opinion,
or propaganda? Is the authors
point of view biased in any
way? Is the language free of
emotion-rousing words or bias?

Annotating For Purpose:

Just like you did for
authority, interrogate your
source for purpose.