Currency:                                      Is the information current enough? Look at the copyright

                                                         date relative to your subject.

 Authority:                                     Is the author an expert or knowledgeable in the field as

                                                         witnessed by academic or professional credentials,

                                                         reviews., etc.?  Information about the author is often given in

                                                         the introduction to the book, article, etc., or can be found in

                                                         biographical sources.

 Primary or secondary               What were the sources of the author's knowledge?  Did 

 source:                                          he/she go to the original (primary) source or rely on

                                                          secondary material?  If new sources were explored,

                                                          were they well chosen and sufficient?   Many reference 

                                                          works are secondary material (encyclopedias, almanacs, 

                                                          yearbooks etc.), but rely heavily on primary sources.  The 

                                                          author or editor should indicate the source of his/her 

                                                          information (notes, citations to sources, and  

                                                          bibliographies).     

Diverse views:                               Does the information include views and opinions on

                                                          all sides of the issue? Look for a balance, either in one

                                                           work or in a combination of several. 

Bias:                                                Have cultural, ideological, religious, political, and other 

                                                          types of bias been recognized and accounted for?

                                                          Watch out for materials that are heavily biased on an issue. 

                                                          Try to get a balance.

Information format:                      Have all the appropriate information formats been

                                                           used such as statistics, maps, interviews, films,

                                                           videotapes, newspapers, journals, etc.? Audio-visual

                                                           materials, interviews, and electronic resources can be

                                                           excellent sources to include with books and periodicals. 

Interdisciplinary:                           Have all appropriate relevant areas of study been

                                                           investigated or their contributions, e.g., science, 

                                                           medicine, sociology, the arts, etc.?   Many issues touch 

                                                           on a variety of subject areas. Be sure to look at all which

                                                           apply.

Popular vs.                                      Is the information popular or scholarly or both? A  scholarly:                                         balance is usually good, but it depends on the subject

                                                            and intent of your research project. Often, scholarly material

                                                            is appropriate for research projects.

Terms:                                              Are the terms fully understood and carefully defined?

                                                           The author should define all relevant terms so that

                                                            information and intent are clear to the reader.

Questions:                                       Have all the vital questions and subquestions been 

                                                            asked?  Make sure that the material fulfills its purpose.