Research Guides: CHM 3120L: Evaluating Sources for Credibility

Introduction

Evaluating each source you are considering using is good practice to ensure the material is credible and suits your research needs.

The processes and guiding questions listed in the following sections can help you determine whether potential sources are relevant to your needs and whether you feel comfortable using them in your research!

This page's content has been adapted, with changes, from Mike Caulfield's SIFT (The Four Moves), which is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License.

Critically Evaluating Sources

Before you begin evaluating the content of a piece, stop and determine:

Does the information relate to your research topic or attempt to answer questions similar to the ones you are investigating? If it isn't relevant, close that tab and move on to another source!
Do you know enough about where the source is coming from? If you don't know who created the material and why, move on to the "Investigate the Source" step to gather that critical info!

Ask yourself the following questions about the author:
- What types of credentials do they have?
  - What experiences, whether professional, educational, or personal, lived experiences as a participant or witness do they have that may affect their expertise on the given subject?
  - Are they affiliated with an institution, like a university, governmental agency, or organization? What are the reputation and values of said institution?
  - Do they have previous works on the topic? Are they often cited in their field? What factors may be impacting how often they are cited?
- What biases (political, ideological, implicit, etc.) may the author have, and how are those reflected in their work? Does the author acknowledge these biases?
Ask yourself the following questions about the publication:
- What type of journal/periodical is the material published in? Does it cater to a specialized/academic audience or a more general audience?
- Does the journal/periodical require material to be edited before being published?
- Who is the publisher of the source?
  - What is the reputation of the publisher?
  - Does the publisher have a political or economic agenda?
  - If the publication is for-profit, what does the publisher do with those profits?

Nobody likes a game of telephone! If a source includes a citation you are interested in, it's best practice not to make an indirect citation. Instead, try to go directly to the original source of information you are trying to incorporate into your research. Reading the information in its original context will give you a sense of whether other sources accurately portray and fairly represent it.

Is the information well-researched, verifiable, or supported by evidence?
Is the methodology sound?
Are the assessment measures employed reliable and valid?
Are any assumptions made reasonable?
Are the conclusions drawn substantiated?
Are any limitations acknowledged?
Does the work substantiate other materials you have read or deviate from most works in the field?
What new information does the work add to the field?
Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic?