Beginning Your Research @ Your Library

It's important to evaluate to insure that you use the best information resources possible for your research and study, as well as for making personal decisions.  Information that you find in many different formats may be unreliable, dated, or biased.  Make sure to pick the best!

To evaluate a source that you may want to use for a paper or presentation, use the 5Ws+H questions below to do a quick review for credibility. These questions help you to examine the source itself plus what others say about the source. 

Who is the author or creator?

• An Expert, Scholar, Journalist, Nonprofit, Corporation, Government, Advertiser / Influencer, Unknown?
• Look up the author using a search engine to learn about their background.

When was it published / posted?

• Is it timely for your topic?

Where was it published / posted? 

• Scholarly journal, Magazine, News source, Website, Social media, Other?
• Look up the publication or website on Wikipedia or using a search engine. What did you learn about the source?

Why does the source exist? 

• Inform, Persuade, Politicize, Research, Educate, Entertain, Sell?

What is the main idea?

• How is it relevant to your topic?

How does it incorporate evidence?

• Reference list (cited works), Quotes, Charts / graphs, Methodology, Original research / Data, Anecdote / Personal Experience, Other?

Adapted from: The Source + Beyond the Source Evaluation Framework by DePaul University Library CC:BY:NC

For quick fact-checks of information you find online, in social media, or shared by friends and family, use the SIFT method:

• Stop
• Investigate the source (use Wikipedia or search engine - not the source's "About" page)
• Find better coverage from a source you trust
• Trace claims, quotes, and media to their original source

SIFT was created by Mike Caulfield. Learn more in this short chapter from Introduction to College Research.

Use specific sources and websites to check whether some information that is presented is true or not.  Try using the ones below!