Authority or Author

• Who is the author? Is it an individual or a corporate author?
• What are the author’s credentials (education, experience, institutional affiliation)?
• Does the author display a bias or unique perspective?

Hint – The Web of Science and Scopus are both useful in determining the citation history of a specific author.

Relevance

• Is the author writing on the subject of his or her expertise?
• Is the author frequently cited/respected in the field of expertise?
• When was the source published?
• Is the publication date timely?
• Who published the source? Does the publisher display a bias?
• If published in a journal, is the journal peer-reviewed?

Hint –  To find information on the bias of organizations or publishers there are two print sources – the Right Guide (Q. 320.5202573 R4491997) and the Left Guide (Q. 320.51 L522) that may be of assistance.

Content of Information Source

• Who is the intended audience?
• How well does the source cover your topic? All/Part/None?
• Why is the article being written?
• Are sources being cited?
• Are arguments logically presented?
• Are conclusions based on evidence provided in the source?
• Is there a list of cited sources?
• If the source is a book, does it include an index?
• Is this a primary or secondary source?

Hint –  Need help on how to cite resources?  Go to the OWL.

Any Remaining Issues

• What is your overall impression of this source?
• Are there any remaining questions you have about the source that might bring into question its appropriateness?