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How Do I Evaluate Information Resources?
Evaluating information for an assignment or essay is an essential part of the research process. Whether the information is gathered from books, journals, websites, etc., asking questions about the information you find will make your research more effective and help you to produce better work. Here are some criteria for evaluating the information you find, and some questions you should ask before using any source:
| 1 | Accuracy |
| 2 | Authority |
| 3 | Objectivity |
| 4 | Currency |
| 5 | Coverage |
| 6 | Other Useful Websites |
1. Accuracy
- Is the information reliable and free of errors? Are there spelling or grammatical mistakes?
- Have the facts been verified?
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- Is there a bibliography or a list of references?
- Does the source have editors? (Editors act as filters for print materials.)
2. Authority
- Who wrote the information? What are the author’s qualifications or credentials?
- Is the author or publisher reputable? (Remember that on the Internet, everyone can be his or her own publisher.)
- Is the author cited by others?
- For the Internet, check the domain, the last part of the web address:
.edu is used for educational institutions
.gov is used by governments (.gc.ca is used in Canada)
.com is used for commerce
.org is used by organizations
Outside the United States, country codes are used (.ca is for Canada and .uk is for Great Britain)
- Is information about the author or publisher available? On the Internet, are links provided to this information?
- Is a bibliography or works cited included?
3. Objectivity
- Is the information objective or based on the author’s bias?
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- What is the position of the author?
- Are the competing interests of the author clearly presented?
- Does the publisher have a bias? Does this bias influence the author?
- Is the author trying to influence the opinion of the reader?
- Is there advertising? How is it presented?
4. Currency
- Is the content of the information current or up-to-date?
- Is the publication date evident?
- For the Internet, does the date on the page match the date of the information? When was the page last updated? Do all the links work?
5. Coverage
- What subject matter is included in the work?
- Are the topics explored in depth?
- Is the information unique? What does this work or website offer that others do not?
6. Other Useful Websites
- Critical Evaluation of Resources (UC Berkely Library)
- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: or, Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Resources (Susan E. Beck, New Mexico State University Library)
- Evaluating Internet Resources: A Checklist (Infopeople.org)
- Critical Evaluation of Resources on the Internet (University of Alberta Libraries)
