Embedded Files
Consider these questions about each source:
Currency
Is current information required? Or is accurate, historical information acceptable?
If it is a historical document, what historical biases might factor in?
When was the information published or posted?
Has the information been revised or updated?
Is the information current or out-of date for your topic?
Are the links functional?
Relevance
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the information at an appropriate level?
Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?
Authority
Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
Are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations given?
What are the author's qualifications to write on the topic?
Is there contact information, such as a publisher or e-mail address?
Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? (.com [commercial], .edu [educational], .gov [U.S. government], .org [nonprofit organization], or .net [network])
Accuracy
Where does the information come from?
Is the information supported by evidence?
Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
Does the language or tone seem biased and free of emotion?
Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
Purpose
What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Is the information fact? opinion? propaganda?
Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
Also be sure to check the cultural competency of a source with these questions from Washington University's Identity Literacy guide:
For what purpose was this information created and who is the intended audience?
What methods were used to produce the information in this source and when was it produced?
If the information discusses specific communities, does the author(s) of the study/article/report respectfully engage with first-person experiences and views of members of that community?
Does this author/source seem to be “in conversation” with other works?
In what way might other conversations impact the information in this source?
What perspectives or which voices might be missing from this source? Why might these have been excluded?
Am I researching a topic that crosses "identity lines" or researching a community with whom I do not identify? If so, do the sources represent diverse, divergent view points?
What role did my identity play in evaluating and selecting these sources?
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