Evaluating Sources

In all types of research the researcher needs to read on the subject matter. These secondary sources will
aid in making points or justifying the need for the topic to be researched. In a simple research the
emphasis is on evidence to support the thesis or main idea of the essay. In an in depth thesis or
dissertation the researcher will need a literature review as well as evidence that substantiates or
challenges the conclusions of the research. But how exactly evaluate these sources.

How to evaluate a Source

1. Is the article recent? Is it up to date information or information that has been superseded? Does
the date of the article suggest that it is current; a maximum of seven years should indicate some
level of currency.
2. Does the author have a bibliography at the end of the book / chapter or article? This indicates
the writers awareness of other research in the field
3. Are the writer’s credentials cited? You would be best served by experts in the field of your
research.
4. Have you seen references made to the author in other documents you have read? This of course
points to the writers reputation
5. Where is the article printed? Although we enjoy popular magazines these are often not the
sources for serious research
6. Doe the publication have some implicit bias ? For instance, an article against stem cell research
in a religious magazine must be carefully analysed and scepticism should underpin acceptance of
this source.
7. Is the internet site I am on a reputable one ? You need to take note of the creators of the site
for as you well know anyone can set up or add, change or remove information from a site. The
best sites are those set up by universities and those with names that have .edu and .gov . These
are more often than not reputable. Those that end with .com are probably not as good as those
sites. Pay attention to the authoritative links that take you to another site . This suggests that
this site has been evaluated and accepted as reputable.

Authority
 What are the author's qualifications? The source itself may provide some biographical
information, or check biographical sources in the reference collection.
 Is the author an expert on this topic? Has he or she written other material on the topic?Is the
publisher or sponsoring organization reputable?
  What is a scholarly journal? Many databases allow you to limit your search to scholarly journals;
however, some may use a term such as peer-reviewed or refereed. Click here for more help.

Accuracy
 How reliable and free from error is the information?
 Are sources listed so the reader can verify the data?
 Are there editors or other people who have checked the facts?

Objectivity
 Is the information presented with a minimum of bias? If there is a bias, is it clearly stated?
 Is the information trying to persuade the audience to change their opinion?
 If there is advertising on the web page, is it clearly differentiated from the information content?

Currency
 Is the information up-to-date?
 Is currency important? Some subjects, like medicine or technology, require current information.
Other subjects, like religion or history, may not need to be as current.
 Is the publication date clearly noted? Does the web page indicate when it was written and last
revised?

Suitability
 Is your topic included in the work? Check the table of contents or index.
 Are the topics explored in depth or superficially?
 Is the language too technical or specialized? If so, choose something that's more appropriate.

Purpose
For a formal research it is crucial that you understand and remember your goals .Your purpose is to
inform readers through research, and that involves an original synthesis (COMBINATION) of information.
You will not just compile a list of facts and expert opinions; you need to make sense of what you
discover as well.
Audience
Your audience is usually your classmates and teacher but you might plan your report for another specific
reason or audience, such as local organisation or publication.

Audience checklist
1. Who is my audience
2. How much does my audience already know about the topic
3. Do i need to give background information or explain technical terms
4. What strong feelings might my audience have about the topic
5. What kind of language should i use? Should my attitude be formal or informal? Should the
writing be simple or complex?
6. How can i make my message interesting and meaningful to this particular audience.

Tone of Information

The tone of your research will be formal , which means you will be using;

A third person point of view. Do not use the word I

Relatively formal language ;
 Word choice: generally , the use of contractions and colloquial language creates a more
personal, friendly tone while the use of polysyllabic words and impersonal language
creates a less personal , more serious tone. You also create a tone depending on
whether you use objective unemotional words with emotional connotation
 Choice of Detail: a list of facts creates a rather serious tone , while a set of personal
examples or reminiscences creates a friendlier , perhaps even playful tone.
 Sentence length and structure: long involved sentences can produce a serious weighty
tone. A series of very short, clipped sentences and even sentences fragments can be
used to create an urgent tone.