Ask:

• Who is this author?
• What expertise does s/he have?
• Should I believe what s/he says? Why?

How to find out:

• Check the source itself for information about the author's credentials.
• Check the publisher of the source. University presses, for example, tend to publish books or journals with articles by scholars who are recognized experts in their fields.
• Check a library catalog or database to find out what else the author has written.
• Check a biographical source.
• Read a critical review if your source is a book or film. A review will often give information about the author or others responsible for the intellectual content of the source.

Ask:

• Does the author support her/his statements with data or references to research?
• Are quotations attributed to named people?
• Does the source have notes, a bibliography, or a list of references? If so, evaluate these

How to find out:

• Examine the source itself.

Ask:

• When was the information published?
• Is the date of publication important to the subject matter? You may not always need the most current information, but be certain that if you are taking an historical approach to your topic, you are doing it deliberately, not because of incomplete research.

How to find out:

• Check the date of publication or copyright for all your sources.
• Notice whether your source is a reprint. If so, the publication date may be misleading. The copyright date(s) will tell you when the information was first published.

Ask:

• What is the purpose of the source?
• Is it to inform, persuade, present opinions, report research, or sell a product?
• Does it show any bias?
• Is it intended for a scholarly or a popular audience?

How to find out:

• Read or skim the source you are evaluating. The introduction or preface may state the purpose, either directly or indirectly.
• Determine whether the source is published by an organization with a particular purpose.
• Determine whether the source attempts to sell a product or promote a particular point of view. Also, see if it presents a balanced view.
• Go to the section of this OWL called Scholarly or Popular? to learn how to determine the intended audience.

Ask:

• If the source is a periodical article, was it reviewed by experts in the field before publication?
• What is the reputation of the publisher? The company or group that publishes a book or periodical may also provide clues about authority, reliability, or bias.
• If it is from the Internet, was there any review process at all?
• Whatever the source, was it critically reviewed after it was written or posted?

How to find out:

• To find out whether a journal is peer reviewed or refereed (meaning that articles submitted for publication are read by experts in the field who decide if the articles are suitable for publication), check an issue of the journal and use the criterial in the Scholarly or Popular chart.
• Information may be published by an association, a university press, a commercial publisher, a government, or even an individual. If you know something about the publisher, you can often identify bias and point of view. Here is a list of reference sources that will help you evaluate publishers:
• Literary Marketplace (ref PN 161 .L5)
• Encyclopedia of Associations (ref AS 22 .E5)
• AV Market Place (ref LB 1043 .A86)
• From Radical Left to Extreme Right (ref JK 1 S55)
• Many Internet sources are not reviewed before being posted. Sites created by governmental or educational agencies (.gov or .edu) typically have some sort of review process. Some Websites review the pages they link to. Another section of this OWL has more information on evaluating Web resources.

Ask:

• Does the source contain the information you need?
  
  Is it written at a level you can understand and that is appropriate for the intended audience of your paper or presentation?

How to find out:

• If they are available, read the abstract of a periodical article, or skim the table of contents and index of a book. Browse a few pages of the source. Look for technical or specialized language; check that the focus is not too general or specific for your needs.