Evaluating Sources Checklist

 

Print out the checklist on this page to aid you in selecting relevant, creditable sources.

Note: Most print resources found in libraries have already undergone some evaluation based on many of these criteria. The web, however, doesn't have such a comprehensive filtering device. Therefore, be especially careful when selecting Internet information.
 

AUTHORITY

• Are the author's qualifications, such as education, occupation or position listed?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• Does the publication include a reference list or bibliography showing that the author has researched the topic?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• Do you know if the publisher is reputable?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• If the author is a group, educational institution or government body, is it known to be knowledgeable about the subject?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

SCOPE AND CONTENT

• Is the subject matter covered relevant to your topic?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• If the coverage is limited, does it still help to meet your needs?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• Do you feel that you will be able to distinguish between fact and opinion?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

DATE

• Based on the date of publication, will the facts or opinions given in this publication be outdated for your purposes?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• Will other sources, such as newspaper articles or Internet information be needed to obtain more recent data?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• If this is a web resource, can you tell when it was published and last revised?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

INTENDED AUDIENCE

• Is this a scholarly publication, intended for an academic audience, or one knowledgeable about the subject area?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• Is this resource of a more popular nature, written for people with no special expertise about the subject?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

PURPOSE

• Is the major purpose of this publication to inform?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• Would you say that the coverage is biased, or limited to one point of view?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

• Is the purpose to persuade? Does this bias the content?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

COMPARED WITH OTHER AVAILABLE RESOURCES

• Does this resource appear to be one you would choose to use?
  Yes/No/Don't Know

CONCLUSIONS

• Based on the information you have collected above, do you have any reservations about using this resource?
  Yes/No

• Overall, this publication is suitable for use as a resource for my purposes.
  Yes/No
  

 

 

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last updated on 3/30/99