(books, e-books, online magazines, newspapers, journal articles, government publications, etc.)

Areas and Questions to Consider

Authority & Credibility

• Who publishes the book or journal?
• Who is the author(s) of the book or article?
• What makes the author(s) and authority on this subject?
• Does the author(s) cite his / her experience / credentials?
• Does the book or article contain footnotes? If so, does material taken from other sources appear to be fully credited?

Scope and Relevance

• Who is the intended audience - general, specialized readership, scholars, etc.?
• What is sthe level of the material - basic, advanced, etc.?
• Is the material appropriate and useful for your purposes?

Coverage

• What time period is covered?
• What geographical area is covered?
• How comprehensive and specific is the information?

Bias and Accuracy

• How is the information presented - fact, opinion, propaganda, etc.?
• If presented as fact, is it accurate?
• Is there a bias - cultural, political, religious, etc.?
• If so, is the bias clearly stated?

Currency and Timeliness

• How recent is the book or article?
• How important is this to you and / or your topic?

Quality

• What was the quality of the research methodology?
• Did it use accepted methodologies for its field, insofar as you know?
• What is the validity?
• Is the article clearly written and well-organized?

Context

• How does the book or article fit into its discipline discourse?
• Is new research being reported or is the author reviewing previously conducted research?
• Does the author agree or disagree with the majority of other scholars in the discipline?
• Is this the first article of its kind within its discipline?

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copyright Aline Soules 2011
under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/us/