Is the intended audience a scholarly one? Ryan, E. Example of just one fallacious quotation that can be found online. August 26, 2021 Begin your in-depth evaluation with any landmark studies in your field of research, or with sources that youre sure are related to your research topic. There are no glaring grammatical or orthographic errors. They are written to inform, not entertain, and assume a high level of previous knowledge because they are written specifically to people who have a vested professional interest in technical information relevant to their specialization. Because of the .org domain extension, it appears more credible. Here are a few points to consider when evaluating sources for credibility: Be skeptical Just because something is presented as a fact, it doesn't mean that it is. If students are coming from the Beginner Lessons, they should be able to talk about different media (e.g., images, videos, books, web pages, news articles) and different types of primary sources, as well (e.g., letters, journals, maps). Web. Evaluating Primary Sources It is important to examine primary sources with a critical eye since they represent unfiltered records of the past. Primary sources are often considered the most credible in terms of providing evidence for your argument, as they give you direct evidence of what you are researching. Evaluating source credibility is an important information literacy skill. However, it can be a good starting point for general information and finding other sources. Is a source of funding disclosed? Determine whether they're relevant to your topic. Understanding which articles are clickbait helps you evaluate your sources for credibility. Note for Purdue Students: Schedule a consultation at the on-campus writing lab to get more in-depth writing help from one of our tutors. Evaluating Sources | Methods & Examples. Below are some questions to ask and things to consider as you read through a source. Note for Purdue Students: Schedule a consultation at the on-campus writing lab to get more in-depth writing help from one of our tutors. Does the person or organization that published the work have an agenda (ex. Do they benefit financially by promoting a particular view? How can you tell if a source is primary or secondary? You can also consider using an academic database like LexisNexis or government open data to get started. Evaluate Sources With the Big 5 Criteria. With over a decade and a half of experience in the education industry, Alexander coaches students to increase their self-awareness and emotional intelligence while achieving skills and the goal of achieving skills and higher education. Of course, there is no such link. Has this author been cited as a source by other scholars or experts in the field? % of people told us that this article helped them. Begin by reading the Introduction or the PrefaceWhat does the author want to accomplish? The sources the author cited should be easy to find, clear, and unbiased. What are examples of academic dishonesty? However, the deeper you get into your topic, the more comprehensive your research will need to be. This is not to say that less-established scholars work is not credible. Published on Websites are not subject to the peer-review and editing process that academic journals or books go through, and can be published by anyone at any time. Does the source support its arguments and conclusions with evidence? This stands for: For example, podcasts like Stuff You Missed in History Classand Historium Unearthiaprovide information on often-overlooked historical events. He holds a BA in Psychology from Florida International University and an MA in Education from Georgia Southern University. If you need some guidance on finding good sources, set up a research consultation with Columbia Libraries to find credible academic sources to support your work. To evaluate internet sources: Do the same for any other websites that dont meet the high standard for academic integrity. Scholarly sources are written by experts in their field and are typically subjected to peer review. The CRAAP test is an acronym to help you evaluate the credibility of a source you are considering using. By following these guidelines, you can produce a high-quality research paper that showcases your research skills and impresses your audience. Could the evidence be used to draw other conclusions? Possessing these skills will give you the ability to objectively and successfully critique online materials. When examining online news articles, find out what you can about the organization behind the articles. If the source appears to represent an opinion, does the author offer legitimate reasons for adopting that stance? Non-scholarly books might deal with scholarly subject matter sociology, for example, or politics. The sources you use are an important component of your research. Was the source created by someone directly involved in the events youre studying (primary), or by another researcher (secondary)? This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. In general, while you will probably not use a lot of social media in your research, if you do, try to locate the people or groups behind the usernames. Coverage (relevance): Consider whether the source is relevant to your research and whether it covers the topic adequately for your . Does the source provide original information (primary), or does it summarize information from other sources (secondary)? Yes to scholarly databases. Last Updated: December 13, 2022 The test focuses on five key aspects that can indicate the quality of a source and includes questions to ask of a source to evaluate its quality. For example, the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) banned all tobacco research funded by tobacco companies in 2013 because they determined that the special interests of the research funders would lead to biased, unreliable conclusions. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/ae\/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/ae\/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-9-Version-2.jpg\/aid368290-v4-728px-Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source-Step-9-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"