ABC's of Evaluating Information Sources
(websites, journal articles, books, etc.)
Audience
- To whom is the source directed – children, adults, students; a certain ethnicity, gender or political affiliation?
- Is it understandable by the layperson, or is it highly technical requiring specialized knowledge?
Authority
- Is the author of the source listed?
- Can you determine his/her expertise or credentials?
- Is contact information given – phone number, address, e-mail?
- With what organization is he/she associated?
Bias
- Does the language, tone, or treatment of its subject give the source a particular slant or bias?
- Is the source objective?
- Is it designed to sway opinion, sell you something, or simply make an argument? Organizational, institutional, or corporate affiliation can often be a good gauge of bias.
Currency
- Is the source up-to-date? If it's a site, does it have working links?
- Is a date given for when it was created and, in the case of online sources, last updated?
- Is the topic current?
Scope
- Is the source an in-depth study of the topic going several pages deep, or is it a superficial, single-page look at the subject?
- Are statistics and sources properly cited and referenced?
- In the case of websites, does it offer unique information not found anywhere else, e.g., print sources or peer-reviewed journal publications?