Evaluating Resources

How to Evaluate Resources

Whether your source is a book, article, or a website, it's important to evaluate how appropriate it is for your topic. You should evaluate each resource you use by these characteristics:

• Currency
  • What is its publication date? If you're working on a project that demands current information, you'll need to limit your search to more recently published materials. Beware of websites that have not been updated in the past year.
• Authority
  • Who wrote and/or published the content?
  • Does the author have expertise in the field? You want to include authoritative sources in your research. Authors should have appropriate, professional credentials (advanced degrees in their field, professional experience).
• Scope (Coverage)
  • Is the topic explored broadly, or is there significant detail on a particular element of the topic? Your specific topic will determine the level of detail you need to research. Consider it carefully.
  • Is there enough evidence to support any claims the author makes?
• Audience
  • Is the article intended for an academic or popular audience? Be sure to use sources that emphasize academic research, rather than those that seek to entertain a general or popular audience.
• Objectivity
  • What point of view does the author present? You want to support your research with objective (non-biased) information that is based on research, not individual opinions. Consider the following questions to determine if the author is impartial or biased.
    • Is he/she impartial, or instead reveal a particular agenda (or bias) that he/she seeks to advance?
    • Is the author affiliated with a particular advocacy group?
    • Does the author provide only his/her opinion, or is the argument backed up with research?
  • If your research is on a controversial topic, is the content fair and balanced? Is more than one view represented?
    • NOTE: If you're examining the debate surrounding a controversial or ethical/moral topic, you may be asked to cite opinions in your research. Whenever you are using opinions, you need to be sure to examine and write about both sides of the issue. Include the major arguments and support for each side.
  • The two book series below are good resources for controversial topics (they are linked to results in the UNT Library catalog):
    • "Opposing Viewpoints"
    • "Taking Sides Clashing Views"
    • more books on Controversial Topics (essay collections for/against)

More Ways to Evaluate Websites

• Reliability
  • Is the author named? Does he/she have professional credentials?
  • Is information well-researched and supported by evidence?
  • Are statements/quotes backed up by citations to their sources?
  • Is the site sponsored by an organization or an institution? What can you find out about that organization?
  • Can you verify the website's content with a print resource?
• Site Structure and Design
• Is the site easy to navigate?
• Are the pages well-organized?
• Is the site free of grammatical and typographical errors?

Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazines

There are two types of periodicals that you'll see as you begin to research: scholarly journals and popular magazines. It's important to remember that scholarly journals are appropriate for academic research, while popular magazines are not. Popular magazines are intended for leisure reading by a general audience, not for research.

Identifying Scholarly Journals

A scholarly journal is published by (and for) experts.

• articles contain a bibliography
• list authors' credentials
• may contain tables, graphs, and statistical data
• fewer ads; more are for professional conferences or associations
• not printed on glossy paper
• little color, simple layout
• more words than images
• sample titles: Journal of Moral Philosophy, Minerva: an internet journal of philosophy

Identifying Popular Magazines

A popular magazine targets a more general audience than the scholarly journal.

• articles written by staff writers or freelance journalists
• short articles
• articles rarely contain citations
• contain ads for everyday products
• printed on glossy paper
• lots of color and images
• often sold at grocery or convenience stores
• sample titles: Time Magazine, People

Telling the Difference Online

Sometimes it's hard to find these clues when you're looking at an article online. However, if you use the databases provided by the UNT Libraries (see section above), you'll more reliably find scholarly journals. Most of these databases have a checkbox on the search page where you can limit your results to scholarly journals. They may also be referred to refereed or peer-reviewed journals.