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Pittsburg State University
1701 South Broadway
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Don Judd
WAC Coordinator
English
Phone: (620) 235-4697

Kathleen De Grave
Assistant WAC Coordinator
English
Phone: (620) 235-4705

Cynthia Woodburn
Assistant WAC Coordinator
Mathematics
Phone: (620) 235-4490

Bruce Shields
WAC Graduate Assistant
English
Phone: (620) 235-4686

How do I evaluate sources?

Evaluating Sources

To write a research paper, you have to read outside sources. The problem is that not all sources are trustworthy, and even the best will have an attitude toward the issue at hand. In some cases credibility is clear -- grocery store tabloids are not as credible as the New York Times, for instance. Before judging a particular article, look at the bigger picture. Who is the publisher? Who produces the journal or document? You will need to keep any inherent biases in mind as you consider the validity of the information you find. See below for suggestions on ways to evaluate these particular kinds of sources:

How do I evaluate

Books

Not all books are equally valuable. You have to question whether the book you are using for your data is an acceptable source for your discipline. Here are a few things to consider:

Look at the copyright date. For most research questions, the source should be no more than ten years old. For some technology and science courses, the data should be even newer than that.
Look at the bibliography page. If there is no bibliography, you should doubt the validity of the contents. See what sources the author has gone to. If the sources seem to be biased, be cautious about using this book for your own evidence.
Read the introduction. Often a book's purpose and audience will come clear in the introductory pages. If there is a bias, it should be apparent here. If the book has a limited scope, that should also be stated in the introduction.
Consider the author. Find the author's credentials. Just because the author is a "Dr" doesn't mean he or she is an expert in this particular field. A book on aerobics written by a doctor of English literature doesn't have much credibility.
Consider the publisher. If the publisher is respected, such as most university presses, then the book is probably credible.
Use your judgment as you read. If the book seems to be one-sided, be wary of the conclusions it draws. Apply your knowledge of logical fallacies to the arguments the book presents.
Finally, if you have time, find some reviews of the book. If other experts in the field find a problem with it, watch out.

Journal and Magazine Articles

To evaluate journal and magazine articles use some of the same criteria as for Evaluating Internet Sources. The same issues of authority, accuracy, timeliness, and audience arise.

The main question to ask yourself is whether the article serves a vested interest. If the article is in a journal sponsored by Green Peace, it probably will be slanted toward environmental responsibility. If it is in a journal sponsored by the National Rifle Association, it will probably be pro guns. Getting straight information about the value of hunting from these two sources, for instance, will take some thoughtfulness on your part. Every article will have some bias. Your job is to decide whether that bias affects the data given.

Sources on the Internet

Axe Library has two excellent sites on evaluating Internet sources:

Information from Other Media

Newspapers should be evaluated in the same way that journals are. Does the newspaper have a vested interest it supports? Does the newspaper have a political, economic, or social agenda?

One way in which newspapers differ from journals is that they give up-to-the-minute information, which does not allow for hind sight. This is good in that you find out what people are thinking at the time an event occurs. But this also means that some of the data will be skewed by misinformation.

Government documents and reference books try to be unbiased. Use your judgment as always, though. Remember, the U.S. government used to support slavery, so an inherent bias against slaves would be expected.

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