library.whatcom.edu  libref@whatcom.

edu  Reference (360) 383-3285

Evaluate Information Checklist

Whether you are looking at the Internet, books, or scholarly journals in databases,
complete this checklist to ensure your information needs are met:

Who Wrote It?

Authority
The author of the information (whether a person or Full name:
organization) should have knowledge about the topic Expertise:
and/or expertise in analyzing and presenting Contact info:
information. Domain (.com .gov .org .edu):

Why Did They Write It?

There could be many reasons why a piece of

Purpose
To inform
information was created: to persuade, to inform you,
To persuade
to sell you something, etc.
To sell something
Ask yourself: What does the author want me To entertain
Something else _______________
to do with this information?

Whom Was it Written For?

The intended audience impacts the quality, and range of Audience

what is presented. The more general the audience, the Anyone
more general the information. Researches or Professionals
Members of a trade or industry
The reverse is also true: the more specific the audience (e.g. educators)
(e.g. researchers) the more the information will be
focused and detailed.
 library.whatcom.edu  libref@whatcom.edu  Reference (360) 383-3285

Evaluate Information Checklist

How Old/New Is It?

Currency
Some topics are more time-sensitive than others. For
Currency is important for this topic
example, information about the latest computer
Currency does not matter
technology is more time sensitive than information about
The information is current
the first moon landing in 1969. The information is not current

Is It Accurate?
Accuracy
Some tip-offs to accuracy include the stated expertise of Expertise of author is stated
the author, whether the article cites the sources used, Sources are cited
where the article was posted, and the care taken in Text is free of grammatical errors
presenting the information (e.g. no typos).

What Kind Of Information Do You Need?

Depending on your research project, specific Relevance
information sources may be more appropriate than
others.
Scholarly sources (journal articles etc.)
are appropriate
For example, if you are writing an article about food Non-scholarly sources (magazines,
blogging in the United States, blogs may be one type
blogs, websites) are appropriate
of information source you could use.
If you are exploring a possible link between A combination of scholarly and
pesticides and cancer, scholarly journals and books non-scholarly sources is ideal
may be more appropriate.

Mohess, Neera, "The Research Process 2016" (2015). CUNY Academic Works. http://academicworks.cuny.edu/qb_oers/14