How to Evaluate Research Resources

Evaluation comes into play at many points in the search for scholarly materials. Evaluating your sources helps you determine whether you have reliable (i.e. accurate, authoritative) information and whether you have the right (i.e. scholarly, timely, comprehensive) information to support your research

Evaluation Criteria

There are many factors to consider when evaluating a source. Different systems of evaluation criteria have been developed to help researchers examine sources thoroughy. Read more about these evaluation methods:

1. Five traditional criteria
2. CARS checklist
3. Evaluating in context

Be aware that these criteria apply to all types of materials including journal articles, books, web sites and other documents in print or online.

Questions to ask yourself

As you read about the evaluation methods above, you saw some examples of questions to ask about resources and different features to check in each document. Here are a few more suggested points to consider:

• Before You Read
• As You Read

Tips & guides

Here are a few more helpful tips for evaluating sources:

• Evaluating books
• Peer Reviewed/Scholarly Journals
• Internet sources
• Primary Versus Secondary Resources

Remember:

No matter what criteria or what format you use, the bottom line is to think critically about your information sources at every stage of your research.

Here are a few last questions to ask yourself about your overall research process:

• Have you searched the literature well?
• Are you sure you have retrieved the best there is on your topic?
• Did you search the appropriate database(s)?
• Did you draw on controlled vocabulary to focus your search?
• Will the articles/documents be acceptable for the level of writing and research of your degree program? Are the books you intend to use appropriate or are they written for a general audience?

Lastly, it's always a good idea to discuss your research, sources and findings with faculty and fellow students. Continuing discourse with your academic peers is an integral part of developing a well-rounded view of research and information.