| 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.? Look for information about the author in the introduction to the book, article, etc., or in biographical sources. |
| Primary or secondary source: | What were the sources of
the author's knowledge? Did 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. Whenever possible, try to use primary sources. |
| 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 and web sites 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, videos, newspapers, journals, etc.? Audio-visual materials, interviews, and electronic resources can be excellent sources to include with books and periodicals. |
| Interdiciplinary: | Have all appropriate
relevant areas of study been investigated for 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 that apply. |
| Popular vs. scholarly: | Is the information
popular or scholarly or both? A balance is usually good, but it depends on the subject and intent of your research project. Often, scholarly material is more 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? Have the
assumptions been reviewed and questions? Make sure that the material fulfills its purpose. |