Criteria for Evaluating Sources
Evaluating SourcesSome of the questions you should ask when evaluating sources of information are:
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Audience? Who will be reading this source?
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Author? Who wrote this source?
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Credentials? What are the credentials of the author? Can you tell if they are an expert on the subject?
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Are there sources or links to other information about the topic? Yes (If so, what kind?) or No.
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Purpose? What is the purpose of this source?
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Language? How easy or difficult to read or understand will most people find this source?
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Publisher? Who published this source?
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Source of information reliable? Would you trust this source?
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Scholarly/Popular? Is this source scholarly or popular?
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Peer Review? Is this source peer-reviewed? How can you tell?
Practice!
PracticeWhich one of these sites do you feel is a more reliable source for information on children's health? Why?
American Academy of Pediatrics American College of Pediatricians
What about when one of these organizations is simply name-checked in a news story?
PracticeSuppose you found this article while searching for sources. Is it reliable? Why or why not?
A Rough Guide to Spotting Bad Science
