As you read, try to understand the connections between the sources. Only then will an article be published in a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal. Authority. In these cases, you need to look at the institution or organization that is producing the information. When writing a research paper, always use and cite credible sources. Its important to not necessarily evaluate an online source simply based on its domain extension. Search Engine Optimization Search engine optimization (often abbreviated SEO) is a strategy used to increase unpaid views on a website from search engines. 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. Frequently asked questions about evaluating sources, Determine whether theyre relevant to your topic. Verify the information you already know against the information found in the source. Audience. Common evaluation criteria include: purpose and intended audience, authority and credibility, accuracy and reliability, currency and timeliness, and objectivity or bias. How does the author use evidence? Authority. When doing research, you will use a variety of sources such as books, newspaper articles, magazines or journals, and websites. By following these guidelines, you can produce a high-quality research paper that showcases your research skills and impresses your audience. Scholarly books are written with the sole purpose of informing; they offer new ideas, criticize old ones, and present new data or theories relevant to an audience of academic scholars. As you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. While not all large organizations produce unbiased information, more well-known organizations will most likely provide more credible information. If you use one of these in your research, it is probably a primary source. As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, you can use preliminary evaluation to determine which sources might be relevant. The author's level of expertise on the topic he or she is writing about could take the form of an advanced degree or other extensive experience in the field. Who are the intended readers and what is the publication's purpose? There are several main criteria for determining whether a source is reliable or not. Likewise, if you are searching for information about what restaurant to go to tonight, it's important to use current information. Evaluating Sources for Credibility - YouTube 0:00 / 3:14 Evaluating Sources for Credibility libncsu 4.88K subscribers Subscribe 1.9K Share Save 739K views 7 years ago What does it mean for a. Here is a list of potential credible sources list: 1. Determining a websites credibility can be especially confusing for websites with a .org extension that appear to have a governmental or educational affiliation. Communication & Mass Media Complete. The domain extension can help you understand what type of website youre dealing with. This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. Podcasts are essentially audio files that can be streamed on a computer or mobile device, like portable radio. by Finding the authors educational background and areas of expertise will help determine whether the author has experience in what theyre writing about. However, it can be a good starting point for general information and finding other sources. Research 101: Credibility is contextual Students recognize that credibility may vary by context and information need. If so, it should have a clear bibliography that you will also be able to consult for further sources. Social media is simply defined as any type of digital space that allows users to create content and share it with others in a social setting. Enjoy! 4) Coverage. Petersen, Alexander Michael, et al. Is it in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal (i.e. You should search for additional texts on the topic to find related sources, sources in which this source is cited, and sources that cite this source in order to get a stronger picture of its intellectual relevance and value. Secondly, you should think about bias. Like YouTube videos, podcasts can be valuable resources if used correctly. For example, if you are researching a scientific topic, you will want to be sure you have the most up-to-date information. These sections usually provide information about who the author is and what sort of . After you identify the person or organization, you can find out more about them and determine their credibility. This is especially important for science. What other works has the author published? If youre reading an opinion-based source, ask yourself whether theres enough evidence to back up the opinions. Websites that end in .edu also fall into the category of sometimes credible. Individual faculty often provide course websites that include information pertinent to classes they teach. Useful approaches include the CRAAP test and lateral reading. Approved. However, if you have an active .edu email account from a university where you either attend or work, you can make use of the librarys subscriptions to databases to access these journals. A few of the most common social media platforms are Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Instagram. Be sure they have a Creative Commons license allowing them to be duplicated and shared, and meet the CRAAP test criteria, especially in the authority section. 2) Authority. 1) Accuracy. Having information listed in more than one place increases its credibility. These sites may include lecture materials and interpretation of sources. When evaluating the credibility of a website, look first at the URL. All rights reserved. Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events youre studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)? Evaluating Sources: General Guidelines Once you have an idea of the types of sources you need for your research, you can spend time evaluating individual sources. For example, if you were interested in examining how scientists use Twitter as a platform, you might find yourself quoting a tweet by Bill Nye or the physicist Brian Cox. The former describes the acts in terms of the law (an objective source) whereas the second example judges the actions according to the author's own belief of what is a despicable act. Learn what questions to ask and some strategies to apply for determining if your source is or isn't appropriate for your project. This could also give you insight into the author and publishers motivations. There are no glaring grammatical or orthographic errors. Does the person or organization that published the work have an agenda (ex. Reducing the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables does not influence the consumption of these foods. This test is used to evaluate sources of information and determine their credibility. 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. Because of the .org domain extension, it appears more credible. While this is a good first step, it cant tell you for sure if a source is actually relevant to your research. Using credible and relevant sources is important. NOTE: If you are researching varied opinions and biases on a topic, then such sources would be appropriate. This is not necessarily bad, but it will depend on who published it, why it was published, and how you intend to use the material. They often do not have single authors or publication dates, and their motivation can be more difficult to ascertain. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. It is important to critically evaluate images you use for research, study, and presentations. Most sites that use clickbait use it to simply gain clicks on their site. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. If the author is affiliated with a reputable institution or organization, what are its values and goals? Opinion: The Purdue OWL is the best website for writing help. Determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth, Increase the quality of the information you consume. Understanding SEO is important because it dictates the initial information youre presented with when using a search engine for your research. In some disciplines, material can become outdated very swiftly. First, what are the qualifications of the author? Academic journals are often a great place to find trustworthy and credible content, and are considered one of the most reliable sources you can use in academic writing. Examine source in full text (PDF or original print is preferable) for errors, organization, opinions, etc. 2 . As you examine each source, it is important to evaluate each source to determine the quality of the information provided within it. 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. The source should be relevant to your research. Use credible research sources to strengthen your arguments. Social media posts, blogs, and personal websites can be good resources for a situational analysis or grounding of your preliminary ideas, but exercise caution here. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. Do they confirm or challenge established knowledge? While almost anyone can produce a podcast, and topics range from discussing tv shows or books like The Bachelorand Harry Potter, other podcasts give in-depth information about science, history, anthropology, and a wide variety of other topics. Before you evaluate your source, you need to first evaluate the purpose of your research. Privacy policy. Lateral reading is the act of evaluating the credibility of a source by comparing it to other sources. There is a way to contact the author or publisher of my source. Evaluating Your Sources. Websites with some sort of commercial aspect end in .com (or .co.uk, or another country-specific domain). You need to make sure the source is accurate and credible. For tips on getting a second opinion and evaluating non-academic sources, read on! To evaluate the credibility of a source, first look at its mode of publication. What is the difference between a scholarly and a popular source? Rather than taking these figures at face value, you decide to determine the accuracy of the sources claims by cross-checking them with official statistics such as census reports and figures compiled by the Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Immigration Statistics. There are a lot of sources out there, and it can be hard to tell whats credible and what isnt at first glance. Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. When evaluating academic journals or books published by university presses, its always a good rule of thumb to ensure they are peer-reviewed and published in a reputable journal. If credentials are not listed, that does not mean that the author has no expertise, but it does make it hard for you to evaluate whether he/she/they do and that means the sources may not be appropriate for college level research. Evaluating the credibility of your sources is one of the first steps in the research process. Most clickbait articles want to shock the reader, so be aware of words like surprising, alarming, and shockingin titles. For preliminary research and getting to know a new topic, you could use a combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. June 2, 2022 This will give you an overview of the source. Fact: The Purdue OWL was launched in 1994. Your resources need to be recent enough for your topic. One way to do this is to look at paratextual material, or the parts of a work other than the text itself. The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased. When examining online news articles, find out what you can about the organization behind the articles. Your assignment might have parameters on format and medium, but . Google Scholar is a search engine for academic sources. Despite the large amount of information available, both in print and online, not all of it is valid, useful, or accurate. For example, the website passportUSA.org appears to contain official instructions for applying for a passport online; however, it is simply a PDF editing site. However, its up to you to ensure the information they provide is reliable and accurate. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. The information provided is accurate to the best of my knowledge. Often, it's possible to evaluate the credibility of web sources based on the title, date, and URL. The handout below can be downloaded to help walk through the process. For example, there are on-line journals that utilize peer-review thus providing greater credibility to the publication. . Its important to evaluate the sources youre considering using, in order to: You should have a clear idea of your own research question or topic and think critically when evaluating sources. Coverage (relevance): Consider whether the source is relevant to your research and whether it covers the topic adequately for your . wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. My source cites or links to other sources that appear relevant and trustworthy. Could the evidence be used to draw other conclusions? What else has the author written? This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. Audience. Below are some suggestions for evaluating digital texts and a breakdown of the different types of sources available online. Timeliness. In others, texts can continue to be considered valuable for longer. Like other encyclopedias, Wikipedia can provide valuable information about certain topics. To evaluate a source's critical reception: Check in the library's book and film review databases t o get a sense of how a source was received in the popular and scholarly press. The criteria for evaluating each point depend on your research topic. Published on Most clickbait articles want to shock the reader, so be aware of words like, Writing Letters of Recommendation for Students. A credible source is free from bias and backed up with evidence. My source avoids vague or grandiose claims, and writing that is too emotive or subjective. 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