Evaluate your sources using Check 3

Ask yourself the following questions as you choose sources for your research:

Check the source (Look at what you've found)

• Is the information out of date for my topic? Do I need more current information?
  For topics in rapidly changing fields like science, technology, medicine, politics, current events, etc. keep in mind that information can quickly become outdated.
• Who is the author? What makes them an authority on this topic?
  The author could be an individual, a group of people, or an organization.
• Are there links or citations to other sources? If a website, do they link to other areas on their site, or to external sources?
• Did the source undergo any kind of review process before publication?
• Is evidence based on anecdotes (personal stories) or research (data)?
• What is the tone of the source?
  Formal or informal writing style, attempts to be impartial or statements of opinion, uncluttered formatting or an abundance of advertisements, etc.

Check outside the source (Time to open a new tab!)

• Can I verify claims made in this source with another source?
• Can I identify any potential biases in the author or publisher?
  Try a quick web search to see what other sources say about them. Wikipedia is helpful for this.
• If the source contains original research, do the authors say who funded the study? Does the source of funding have a conflict of interest?
  For example, a company that produces beef products funding a study on the benefits of eating red meat would have a clear conflict of interest.

Check within yourself (Evaluate your own biases)

• Am I surrounded only by sources with the same views as myself? Have I tried searching for other perspectives with opposite or neutral search terms?
• Have I brought my own biases into source evaluation? Do I favor this source because it affirms my beliefs?

Adapted from the CRAAP Test (Blakeslee, S.) and 4 Step Strategy (Liu, G., Pajewski, A., and McMullin, R.M.)

Lateral Reading video by U of L Research Assistance and Instruction (University of Louisville).

If you select the "Peer Reviewed" check box before you search in OneSearch, much of your evaluation work is already done for you because your search list will only contain scholarly sources. Sticking to Scholarly or Peer-Reviewed sources will save you time.

What does peer-reviewed mean? It means that experts in the field gave feedback on a paper before it was published. Typically, articles published in scholarly journals are peer-reviewed and of the highest quality.

Some hints:

Peer-reviewed sources are usually...

• Full of references because scholars always back up their argument. Look for a bibliography or works cited page!
• Published in academic journals like American Journal of Sociology and NOT in magazines or newspapers, like Reader's Digest or The Washington Post.
• Written by professors so check to see if the author is affiliated with any universities or colleges.

What is NOT a scholarly or peer-reviewed source?

• Many web sites
• Magazines 
• Primary sources, e.g. a president's speech