Skip to Main Content

Evaluating Sources

Understanding Types of Sources

Information tends to pass through a specific channel of sources as it disseminates. This timeline begins with almost instant social media posts- that often share one user's opinion of events or exaggerations to get clicks and likes- and ending with books that have been researched and peer reviewed over a lengthy period of time. Here's that timeline:

(Click on image to see full size.)

 

Learn more about types of sources here:

Popular vs Scholarly Articles

It is important that you are able to tell the difference between scholarly journal articles and popular articles. Use the chart below to learn more about each type so you can better determine which meets your research needs.

 

Chart details popular and scholarly article differences. For popular articles, journalists or professional writers are the authors. They are written for the general public and often include color, photos, and advertisements. They tend to be short and are written so the average reader can understand them. They give broad overviews of issues that the public cares about, and they rarely cite their sources. They are recommended for general reading, finding topic ideas, and learning basics or perspectives for your topic. Scholarly articles are written by scholars, faculty members, researchers, or professionals in the field. They are written for other scholars or professionals, so they use a lot of technical jargon and academic language. They are mostly text with perhaps a few charts or graphs. They tend to be lengthy and cover narrow topics related to specific fields. They include full citations for many credible sources. Scholarly articles are recommended as sources for academic work or professional development. They also help you learn about new research being conducted in a given field of study.

Scholarly & Popular Articles by adstarkel. Used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Evaluating Sources using the CRAAP Method

To make sure you are working with the most reliable sources, evaluate the currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose of each source.

 

Currency: The timeliness of the information. 

  • When was the information published, posted, revised or updated?
  •  Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?
  •  Are the links functional and current?

 

Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.

  •     Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
  •     Who is the intended audience?
  •     Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
  •     Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
  •     Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?

 

Authority: The source of the information.

  •     Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
  •     What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
  •     Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
  •     Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
  •     Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source (examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net)?

 

Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content.

  •     Where does the information come from? Are references and citations provided?
  •     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 unbiased and free of emotion?
  •     Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?

 

Purpose: The reason the information exists.

  •     What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
  •     Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
  •     Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
  •     Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
  •     Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

Adapted from the CRAAP Test created by Meriam Library at California State University, Chico

 

Learn more about the CRAAP method here:

Brief video overview of the CRAAP method:

 

In-depth video overview of the CRAAP method:

Evaluating a News Article

News articles rarely have time to go through a peer review process to check for accuracy. To make sure your news sources are reliable, use this infographic as a guide for evaluating news sources:

(https://www.easybib.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Evaluating-a-News-Article-Infographic.png)

Research Guides A-Z Database List Library Home