Purpose: Think about the intended purpose of the information source and try to determine its aim. It is an important component of information literacy. When you verify the information in one source with information you find in another source, this is called cross-referencing or cross-checking. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Authority. NOTE: If you are researching varied opinions and biases on a topic, then such sources would be appropriate. Can it be interpreted differently? Last modified on Friday, August 12, 2008 George, T. For preliminary research and getting to know a new topic, you could use a combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. This test is used to evaluate sources of information and determine their credibility. Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events youre studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)? from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/evaluating-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. Evaluating Primary Sources It is important to examine primary sources with a critical eye since they represent unfiltered records of the past. Propaganda often relies on slogans or emotionally-charged images to influence an audience. A panel of reviewers in the same subject area decide whether a submission should be accepted for publication based on a set of criteria. Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. Consider the tone, style, vocabulary, level of information, and assumptions the author makes about the reader. For a web source, the URL and layout should signify that it is trustworthy. However, you might not want to quote a tweet by someone with an anonymous name and a Twitter handle such as @iluvscience321. Language & Education: An International Journal 27.2 (2013): 110-128. Your judgment should involve critical thinking and assessment of purpose, currency, authority, and accuracy of the source. Why is it important to use these sources? Using the library websites database search engine, use the advanced search to restrict your search results to peer-reviewed sources. Scholarly sources are written by experts in a particular discipline for other experts in their field. All rights reserved. The domain extension can help you understand what type of website youre dealing with. My source is unbiased, and offers multiple perspectives fairly. How can you tell if a source is primary or secondary? Is the language objective or emotional? How you evaluate the relevance of a source will depend on your topic, and on where you are in the research process. Most sources will use a mix of primary and secondary sources to form an argument. [For web sources]: My sources URL suggests the domain is trustworthy, e.g. Where does the author work? Is your topic covered in enough depth to be helpful? (74) $3.99. My source cites or links to other sources that appear relevant and trustworthy. If a bibliographic citation seems promising, it's a good idea to spend a bit more time with the source before you determine its credibility. There are large, famous organizations that are still known to have biases. 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. It ensures that you collect accurate information to back up the arguments you make and the conclusions you draw. How does the source engage with them? If so, it should have a clear bibliography that you will also be able to consult for further sources. The originating source (author, publisher, sponsor) of the information. Most of the sources you use in your assessments should be credible and academic, such as peer reviewed journals and scholarly texts. For example, companies that are owned by Google will most likely appear first when searching for something on Google. Does the source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence? Determine whether they're relevant to your topic. What else has the author written? Communication & Mass Media Complete. Examine source in full text (PDF or original print is preferable) for errors, organization, opinions, etc. In this case, 100% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. Are they an innovator, or a follower and promoter of the status quo? Has the author of the article published other articles? Information can usually be divided into three categories: fact, opinion, and propaganda. Your resources need to be recent enough for your topic. Is the author affiliated with a university or another institution? Whether or not your source is peer-reviewed, it is still a good idea to evaluate it based on these five factors. what a sources motive is. This panel of experts determines whether or not the sources used in the article were credible, whether the methodologies used in studies are scientifically sound, and render a professional opinion as to whether or not an article meets the academic standard of integrity. Do they agree or disagree with other scholars? American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Comparative Literature Association, Learn more about our academic editing services, First-hand evidence giving you direct access to your research topic, Second-hand information that analyzes, describes, or, Sources that identify, index, or consolidate primary and secondary sources. Does the information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic? This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. Evaluating InformationLearn how to choose the best and most reliable information that meets your research needs. Before you evaluate your source, you need to first evaluate the purpose of your research. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Possessing these skills will give you the ability to objectively and successfully critique online materials. It is an important component of information literacy. This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. What is his or her educational background? If you are researching for an academic paper, then you need to have very credible,. The CRAAP test is a catchy acronym that will help you evaluate the credibility of a source you are thinking about using. Consult the index for key terms or the names of important scholars. Web. The information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge. Ryan, E. Has this author been cited as a source by other scholars or experts in the field? Remember, anyone can publish information on the Internet. In some disciplines, material can become outdated very swiftly. Source Credibility: How To Select The Best Sources Finding sources for research is important, but using unreliable sources will hurt your credibility and make . When looking for online sources, using a database helps you find credible information. 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. Remember, your use of sources is a means of supporting the argument you make. 4) Coverage. A credible source is free from bias and backed up with evidence. Evaluating Internet Resources Unlike similar information found in newspapers or television broadcasts, information available on the Internet is not regulated for quality or accuracy; therefore, it is particularly important for the individual Internet user to evaluate the resource or information. The purpose of my source is to educate or inform, not to sell a product or push a particular opinion. The date something was published can greatly affect the information given. Scholarly databases are your best friend when it comes to finding credible sources for research. Some information becomes dated when new research is available, but other older sources of information can still be useful and reliable fifty or a hundred years later. 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. The last example above uses facts in a bad-faith way to take advantage of the audience's fear. When evaluating social media sites, its important to know more about a user beyond their username. I have checked that it is supported by evidence and/or verifiable elsewhere. An example of a References section from a Wikipedia article that has been carefully sourced. Evaluate Sources With the Big 5 Criteria. What other works has the author published? Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. 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). Similarly, Wikipedia is not considered a reliable source due to the fact that it can be edited by anyone at any time. Is it in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal (i.e. Both National Geographicand TEDuse .com domain extension, despite the fact that theyre large organizations. As you dig deeper into your scholarly research, books and academic journals are usually your best bet. Most sites that use clickbait use it to simply gain clicks on their site. When writing a research paper, always use and cite credible sources. Anne Burke Associate Head, Learning Spaces & Services Video added on June 1, 2015 Credits Anne Burke: Project Lead, Storyboards Lisa Becksford: Script, Editing Citation Styles & ToolsQuick MLA, APA, and Chicago style guides for bibliographies; tools for storing and organizing sources. Let's discuss in detail how these skills can help you in evaluating content. However, unlike encyclopedias, Wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, which means that sometimes the information stated is not reliable and is edited for the sake of making a joke (see example below). "I found this very helpful in gathering resources to help my middle school students determine online credibility! To effectively evaluate online materials, you must be able to do proper speed reading and skimming of content, as well as citing references. Credible sources are high quality, evidence-based, reliable, and trustworthy. Use Wikipedia as a starting point that points you toward better sources. The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching. By using an algorithm, SEO works by locating keywords and sorting information for relevancy and accuracy. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Sometimes simply typing an authors name into a search engine will give you an initial springboard for information. If it hasnt been updated recently, it may not pass the CRAAP test. Check for contact information and the credentials of the author. Newspapers can be a great way to glean first-hand information about a historical event or situate your research topic within a broader context. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. Reliability can be estimated by comparing different versions of the same measurement. Do they have credible work or study experience? As a general rule, all .gov websites are credible because they have the weight of governmental institutions behind them. letters, interviews). The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. Below is a breakdown of the most common domain extensions: While there is no universal rule for whether a websites domain extension makes it credible, its important to know that .com, .org, and .net domain extensions can be purchased and used by anyone. You will likely use a combination of the three types over the course of your research process. The credibility of an author is very important in determining the quality of sources you have located and are thinking of using for your research project. You can also read abstracts, prefaces, introductions, and conclusions. Once you have an idea of the types of sources you need for your research, you can spend time evaluating individual sources. To help determine if you are looking at credible, quality information whether it be online or in a book or magazine, consider the "Five Ws" Who, What, When, Where and Why. You may have found good information, but your provider can tell you whether it's good for you. Be careful when ascertaining purpose. Sometimes your instructor will require you to incorporate certain types of resources into your research, but for other assignments, you will be looking for sources on your own. The author and publication should be a trusted authority on the subject you are researching. (2022, December 07). If the name or source is familiar, you may tend to believe the information. During stressful times, most people lose their appetite Published on 8 ways to determine the credibility of research reports Policy & Strategy By Anna-Malin Sandstrm In our work, we are increasingly asked to make data-driven or fact-based decisions. Is the author an expert in their field? Utilizing rigorous criteria, a panel of reviewers in the same subject area decide whether to accept each submission for publication. If a bibliographic citation seems promising, its a good idea to spend a bit more time with the source before you determine its credibility. Peer-reviewed articles are not only written by experts, but are also read and evaluated by a panel of peers other experts in the field. A quick. Scholarly books are often published by university presses (Amherst College Press) and professional associations (American Historical Association), whereas non-scholarly articles are published by commercial publishers (Houghton Mifflin). How do you evaluate the source of information? For example, as recently as the 1960s, most scholarly linguists believed African American Vernacular English to be a deficient, broken form of standard American English reflective of African Americans lack of cognitive abilities. 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