Evaluating Sources
Be skeptical.
When conducting research, it's important to find factual, relevant, and timely information. Not all sources are created equally. Databases are a great place to get information, but you still need to consider the quality of the information.
The CRAAP test, developed by the Meriam Library at California State University, Chico, is an easy to remember tool to help you consider the quality of a source. Ask yourself, is it CRAAP?
Source: University of Baltimore
What About Websites?
Information you find on the Internet needs to be carefully evaluated, because anyone can create a website, blog, or wiki. Pay attention to the domain (.com, .edu, .gov), when the site was last updated, and whether it is full of broken links and spelling mistakes. Shapiro Library at Southern New Hampshire University goes into greater detail about what to look out for when evaluating websites.
Is it Biased?
When you are evaluating articles and websites during the research process, you will probably need to consider the question of bias--is your source slanted toward a particular ideology or way of thinking? The simple answer is that every source has some sort of bias. The World Wildlife Federation is an organization dedicated to protecting wildlife, so of course they will will promote that point of view. Your job as a researcher is to be aware of the bias of your sources as well as your own biases. We all have a filter bubble, where we may seek out and give extra credibility to sources that confirm our beliefs. Responsible researchers seek out a diversity of viewpoints in order to better understand the issues they are exploring. Keep in mind that bias--a perspective or viewpoint--is different from credibility--the accuracy of the information. A source can be written from a particular point of view but still contain accurate & credible information.
How do you figure out the bias of a sources? There are several different media bias charts that you can explore. The two below are widely used.
Read Laterally
One very helpful tool to use in the evaluation process is lateral reading. This involves checking into the sources of your information to verify that they are authoritative, credible, and trustworthy. If you land on a website you've never seen before, open up a new tab and start to investigate the organization or author. What do other websites say about them? Are they trustworthy?
Wikipedia can be a valuable resource when you are reading laterally. There are Wikipedia pages for many authors and organizations. While we often think of Wikipedia as a site that anyone can edit, they do have guidelines and content policies. Articles must:
Meet standards of notability (the topic must be worthy--I cannot do a Wikipedia entry for my cat);
Be written from a neutral point of view;
Include only claims that are verifiable.
Entries that do not meet these standards can be locked or deleted; they may also have a warning at the top. Editors and administrators--Wikipedia users who have proven that they are ethical and responsible--monitor activity. Authors are required to cite their souces within the article and include a list of citations at the end.
Other fact-checking organizations, like PolitiFact, Fact Check, and Snopes are also generally trustworthy sources that you can use to read laterally about an organization. You can also look for news stories about the person or organization that you are evaluating.
Scholarly Articles & Popular Articles
As you research, you'll find both popular articles and scholarly articles. What's the difference? Popular articles can be found in newspapers and magazines; their intended audience is the general public. Scholarly articles are usually the more formal presentation of a researcher's work. Both can be useful when you are researching.