When evaluating sources, ask yourself these critical questions:

Author: 

• Who wrote this source? 
• Do they have any relevant expertise, credentials, or experience?  
• Do they have connections to groups/interests that might indicate bias? Look for potential conflicts of interest and remember that expertise ≠ bias. 

Point of view:

• What is the author’s viewpoint on this topic? 
• How does it relate to your point of view?

Audience:

• What audience(s) is this article intended for?

Evidence:

• What evidence does the author use to support their viewpoint (e.g. research data, interviews with experts, opinions, anecodotes)? 
• Is it convincing? 

What’s missing?

• What is missing from this source (e.g. perspectives, data, background information)? 
• What kinds of additional information would be helpful to have in order to learn more about this topic?

Context:

• How will you use this source in your research? (e.g., find links to more sources, get background information, make a counterargument, use to support your arguments)

Google and Wikipedia are great starting points for gaining background information on a topic. As you dig deeper into your research, you will need to go beyond these basic sources. Here’s why:

• Not everything is openly accessible on the internet. The library subscribes to high quality resources that are not freely available online.
• A Google search will find thousands or millions of results. Library resources provide options to help you filter your search and make it more manageable.
• Keep in mind that anyone can create or edit content online. Using library resources, you can more easily find sources written by experts.
• High quality sources will help you learn more about your topic and form a stronger argument in your research assignments. Good research takes time, but it will be worth it!

• Your instructors may frequently require you to find peer-reviewed articles for your assignments. These can also be called academic journal articles or scholarly articles. 
• Academic journals are how experts communicate with each other about what’s going on in their field.
• Authors of articles are experts in the field who want to share their research findings with other experts. 
• Before publication, the author’s peers review the article and evaluate it to decide if it should be published, revised, or rejected. While this process is designed to ensure that published articles meet high standards for quality, originality, and legitimacy, it still important to evaluate academic articles critically.