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Evaluating Reference Sources


Evaluation Guide Questions and answers to evaluate reference sources.

 

Scope

Does the article cover the topic?

How much of the topic is covered?

Is the information general or detailed?
  • check the length of article
  • scan subheadings, if any
  • read topic sentences

Currency

Is the information up to date enough for the topic chosen or do you need historical information?
  • check the publication date
  • check the currency of the sources in bibliography, if available

Level of difficulty

Is the information written at a level you can understand and use?

Who is the intended audience: the scholar/specialist or layperson?
  • look up unfamiliar terminology in a dictionary
  • use a general encyclopedia first if the specialized one is too complicated
  • if still unable to understand, article is too advanced.

Writer's purpose

What is the bias/perspective?
  • read the Preface or Introduction of the encyclopedia
  • check the reputation of the encyclopedia

 Source: http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/lbr105/unit_1reference_evaluation_guid.htm

 

How to Evaluate Information on the Web

The Web can be a great place to find information for your research projects... but only if you carefully evaluate what you find.

Below are a few suggestions to keep in mind when using the Web for research:

1. Be sure you've picked the right tool for the job.
2. Check the relevance of the information to your topic.
3. Be skeptical.
4. Find out who's responsible for the information on the site, such as the author and publisher.
5. Consider the purpose of the site (e.g., to entertain or educate?).
6. Look at how well-maintained the site is.
 


1. First, be sure you've picked the right tool for the job.   Is the Web the best place to look for information on your topic?   OR are you supposed to find magazine or newspaper articles?  La Roche subscribes to many databases that are accessible through the Web that will lead you to magazine, newspaper, and journal articles on your topic.  Searching the Web by using a search engine or directory such as Google or Yahoo! will NOT get you to the articles in these databases!

2. Check relevance and coverage.
Does the information presented on the site actually cover the topic that you are researching? Does it provide in-depth coverage of the topic?  Is there a bibliography?  Are there links to other Web sites?  If it covers a controversial topic, does it discuss different points of view?

3.  Be skeptical.  Look at:
Accuracy -- Because it's not always easy to determine the accuracy of the information you find on a web page, it's important to compare the information from this source with other sources such as encyclopedias, books, or magazine articles.  Also, check to see if sources are named, if there's a bibliography, or if there are links to other sources.
Objectivity -- Consider tone, any possible bias or conflicts of interest, and corroboration.  If the site discusses a controversial topic, does it discuss different points of view?  Look at the background of the author and the publisher of the site.

4. Find out who's responsible for providing the information.
Author -- Is the author of the page named?  Look for information about the author, such as credentials, area of expertise, and contact information (e.g., e-mail address).
Publisher of the site -- Is it a recognizable or credible publisher?  Is this an appropriate publisher for your topic?  To figure out who the publisher is, try looking at the bottom of the page or in the URL (site address) at the top of the page. Also, look for information about the publisher. This may be found under such links as "About Us" or "Our Mission".

5. Consider the purpose of the site.
Web sites are created for many purposes: To entertain, to market a product, to educate, or to try to convince you of something. See if you can tell if the site was created for an informational, commercial, personal, entertainment, educational, governmental, or advocacy purpose.  Looking at the URL might give you some clues.  For example, URLs with the following domain names will belong to different types of organizations:

  • .com = a commercial organization   Example: www.sony.com
  • .edu = an educational institution   Example: www.gmu.edu
  • .gov = a government organization   Example: www.whitehouse.gov
  • .mil = a military organization  Example: www.navy.mil
  • .org = a non-profit organization    Example: www.redcross.org

Find out more about the purpose of the site by looking for information about why the site exists. This may be found with information about the publisher. Look for links such as "About Us", "Who We Are", or "Our Mission".


6. Look at how well-maintained the site is.  Consider:
Currency -- When was the site last updated?  Is currency important for your topic?
Quality control -- How are the grammar and the spelling?  Do the links work? If the page is sloppy in some areas, it may be sloppy in other areas, such as accuracy.

 

Source; http://www.nvcc.edu/library/evaluate.htm