Evaluating Sources

Image created by Rachelli Rotner and licensed under CC BY SA 3.0.

As mentioned previously, the quality of your sources is an important factor in establishing your credibility with your audience. When you evaluate a source, you need to consider the seven core points shown below:

 

1. Credible.

A credible source is one that has solid backing by a reputable person or organization with the authority and expertise to present the information.  The credibility of a source can be determined in many ways. Always think and read critically so you aren’t fooled.

• When you haven’t heard of an author, you can often judge whether an author is credible by reading his or her biography. If no biography is available, you can research the author yourself.
• Check for spelling and grammatical errors.
• Look for logical fallacies and author bias. Does the author make reasonable claims, support them with reliable evidence, and appear to treat any opposing voices with respect?
• Judge the credibility of an online source by looking at the site’s domain name. A .gov site, for example, is a site published by the government, which we can assume is credible. A .com site generally indicates a commercial or for profit site. A .edu site might be credible, but many institutions give students webspace, as well, so don’t assume that an .edu site is created by a university or a professor. 

2. Relevant.

Is the source relevant to your topic? A source is relevant if it can contribute to your paper in a meaningful way, which might include any of the following:

• Supplies support for core argument(s)
• Adds a sense of authority to your argument(s)
• Contributes background information
• Provides other viewpoints
• Offers definitions and explanations that your audience will need for clarification

For example, if I were to write an essay about creating a community garden on a college campus, a source relating the history of community gardens might be relevant, but one discussing the creation of a campus garden might be even more relevant to my topic.

3. Current/Timely.

When determining if a source is current enough to use, a general rule of thumb is that a source must be no more than ten years old. In some situations, very few sources exist that were published within the last ten years, so older sources can be used as long as you explain why the use of the older sources is acceptable and meaningful. Or perhaps you may be using older sources to establish a historical record of thoughts and statements on your issue in question. Check the date the source was published. If the topic is very current, older sources may not add useful information. If the topic is historical, older sources may help put the issue in perspective. For example, a 1997 report on elderly drivers may or may not be helpful in an argument about elderly drivers 23 years later in 2020.

4. Accurate.

Before you use a source, you need to satisfy yourself that the information is accurate. In print sources, you can use the author (if known) and the publisher to help you decide. If you think the author and publisher are legitimate sources, then you are probably safe in assuming that their work is accurate. In the case of online information, in addition to considering the author and publisher, you can look at how long ago the site was updated, if evidence is provided to back up statements, and if the information appears to be thorough. For either print or online sources, you can check accuracy by finding other sources that support the facts in question.

5. Reasonable.

You can deem a source to be reasonable if it makes overall sense as you read through it. In other words, use your personal judgment to determine if you think the information the source provides sounds plausible.

6. Reliable.

Reliable sources do not show bias or conflict of interest. They do present verifiable information. Sources that do not give citations or references are not reliable because the information given cannot be verified. In written sources, documentation is usually provided within the text and in a references page, as well. Internet sources may have documentation incorporated, or they may simply include hyperlinks to the source itself.  If you are unsure about the reliability of a source, check to see if it includes a list of references, and then track down a sampling of those references. Also, check the publisher. Reliable publishers rarely involve themselves with unreliable information.

7. Objective.

A source is objective if it provides both sides of an argument or more than one viewpoint. Although you can use sources that do not provide more than one viewpoint, you need to balance them with sources that provide other viewpoints.In addition: Diverse. Does the author utilize sources that all come from the same website, for example, or sources all written by the same author, or does the author’s work contain references from a wide variety of perspectives?