-> Get Started with Library Research

Almost all instructors will require that you use credible resources for your research.  What exactly does this mean? 

Use the following criteria as a guide to help you evaluate whether you should use a source:
 

1. Currency - the timeliness of the information

• When was the information published or last updated?
• Have newer articles been published on your topic?
• Is your topic in an area that changes rapidly, like technology, health, science or popular culture?

2. Reliability - the accuracy of the information

• Are there statements you know to be false? 
• Was the information reviewed by editors or subject experts before it was published?
• What citations or references support the author’s claims?
• What do other people say about the topic?

3. Authority - the source of the information

• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor of the source?
• What are the author’s credentials or organizational affiliations?
• Is the author qualified to write on the topic?

4. Purpose - the reason the information exists

• Is the purpose of the source to sell, persuade, entertain or inform?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?
• Are alternative points of view presented?
• Does the author use strong or emotional language?

When evaluating media bias, the Ad Fontes database provides a Media Bias Chart for easy reference: