Research Skills Center

As you find information, you must evaluate it to insure that the information you use is credible. But how do you do that?

Establishing the credibility of a source is not a small task. Will you always get it right? Probably not, but you should make an effort to verify the credibility of sources you use. This can feel overwhelming at times, but there are some key criteria you can consider that will help you make a good decision including:

• Who is the author and/or publisher of the source? What is their background? Have they written anything else on that topic? Do they have any bias?
• What is the purpose of the source? To inform, persuade, entertain, educate, or sell you something?
• Do they cite where they get their information? What types of sources are they citing? Are they credible?
• How current is the source? Is the date it was published appropriate? For example, if it's a medical topic you will want something published in the last few years, although if you want to discuss what was done historically it would be appropriate to use something older. If it is a literary topic, it can be decades old and still be relevant.
• How relevant is it to your topic? How will you use it to support your thesis (to provide statistics, background information, definitions, an opposing viewpoint, as evidence to support your viewpoint, etc.)?

Careful and consistent attention to validating sources should become a habit. Yes, it takes extra time, but the consequences of not evaluating sources carefully can be very real and can cost you time, reputation, or worse. Think of it as an investment in your credibility. Plus, it will get you better grades in your coursework!

Evaluating sources is crucial to ensure the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of the information we consume and share. But why does it matter? 

1. Building Critical Thinking Skills: Learning to evaluate sources teaches you to think critically about the information you encounter. The ability to analyze, question, and assess the credibility and reliability of sources is a fundamental skill applicable across various subjects and real-life situations.

2. Avoiding Misinformation: In an age where misinformation spreads rapidly, it's essential to discern fact from fiction. By evaluating sources, you can identify biased or misleading information and avoid falling prey to false narratives, thus ensuring you make informed decisions and judgments.

3. Academic Integrity: Properly citing credible sources is a cornerstone of academic integrity. Understanding how to evaluate sources ensures that you use reliable information to support your arguments and avoid plagiarism. 

4. Enhancing Research Skills: Whether conducting research for assignments or projects, you'll need to know how to find and evaluate sources effectively. Learning to assess the authority, relevance, and currency of sources will help you locate high-quality information and strengthen your research skills.

A.S.A.P.: A fast way to evaluate information!

When researching a topic, you may find a lot of results, but is it all good information? The critical evaluation of sources is an important piece of the research process. When selecting sources, you should take into account the Author, Source, Age, and Publisher!

A is for Author

Credibility can come from credentials.

Sometimes it's not easy to find author credentials. But if credibility is essential, take the time to learn about the author.  Credentials can include:

• education
• expertise 
• reputation
• other works by the author

Or a combination of all of these things!

S is for Sources

Look at the sources the author used.

• In academic books, authors will often include a Bibliography, or list of sources they checked in their own research, at the end of the book or at the end of each chapter.
• In academic research articles, authors list their sources at the end of their article, and refer to those sources in the text of the article using in-text citations or footnotes.
• When looking at a website, check for hyperlinks that take you to the author's original sources, or a list of references at the end of the web page.
• Popular sources, like magazine and newspaper articles, often do not include a list of sources at the end. Instead, you may need to look for other clues like signal phrases in the text, such as "According to ____ research study..." or "A report from the ____ Institution shows..."

Bonus tip: The author's sources, if credible themselves, can lead you to more helpful information for your research!

A is for Age

How old is too old?

Many times, your professor will tell you that information should be current. How current is current enough? The answer often depends on the context of your research and your subject matter. Here are some "rules of thumb" based on subject matter:

• Medicine, health, technology, science: Sources should be a maximum of 5 years old. Since these fields are changing so quickly, the more recent your research, the better.
• History, literature, art, humanities: Since these subjects often review events and content from the past, sources can be 10-20 years old, depending on your research context. 

If you are unsure how old is too old for your research, check with your professor!

P is for Publisher

Look for the publisher's credentials.

Everything, even a personal website, is published by someone. Find out if the publisher of your information is knowledgeable in the subject. 

• Books: You can find the publisher on the title page of a book. They are often listed at the bottom of the title page, with the city of publication below the publisher. Look up the publisher's name in Google to see what other books they've published. Most University Presses (e.g. University of California Press or Oxford University Press) publish only academic books.
• Journals, Magazines, Newspapers: Look up the name of the journal, magazine, or newspaper in Google to find the publisher. Do they publish other things on the same subject? Can you find an "About Us" section that tells you more information on their publishing or editing process?
• Websites: Examine the site for information about the publisher, or sponsor, of the site. Look for an "About Us" link, a logo in the header or footer, or a link to the site's home page for more information.

When in doubt, you can always ask a librarian!