Evaluating Sources Lesson 3

Study Notes

There are two types of sources: primary and secondary.
Primary sources:
- Original, first-hand information
- Examples: diaries, speeches, transcriptions, surveys, government reports, paintings, literary writings, photographs, scientific experiments and research results
Secondary sources:
- Accounts of events or interpretations of creative or scientific works
- Examples: biographies, article reviews, journal articles, research publications

Relevance:
- How well does the source support the research topic?
- Check the title, table of contents, summary, introduction, or headings to determine relevance
Authority:
- Is the author's name identified?
- Is the author's background, education, or training related to the topic?
- Check the university's website to verify the author's affiliation
- Check for publications and citations
Currency:
- What is the date of publication?
- In most fields, data from older publications may no longer be valid
- Prefer sources with a publication date within the last five years
Contents/Accuracy:
- Does the author have a lot of citations and/or a bibliography?
- Is the tone and style of writing formal?
- Is the information inaccurate or biased?
- Verify findings with multiple sources to ensure accuracy

Avoid using blogs or personal homepages and wiki sites
Check the URL for top-level domains such as .edu, .gov, .net, and .org
Evaluate websites using criteria such as accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage
Be cautious of sources with obvious biases or prejudices