Are your sources appropriate for university-level research? Ask questions about your sources when you're deciding whether or not to use them for your university research assignments:
Currency: The timeliness of the information
- When was the information published or posted?
- Has it been updated?
- Do you need the most current, up-to-date information on your topic?
Relevance: The information meets your assignment needs
- Does the source meet your assignment requirements?
- Does the information directly relate to your topic?
- Does it help you answer questions?
- Have you looked at other sources to find the best one?
Authority: The source of the information
- Who is the author or publisher?
- Are they qualified to write about this area?
- If it's a website, what does the URL say about the source, i.e. .com .edu .gov .org?
Accuracy: The reliability and correctness of the information
- Is the information supported by citations or other evidence?
- Can you verify the information with another source?
- Is the author or publisher biased or unbiased?
Purpose: The reason the information exists
- What is the purpose of the information? To inform, sell, persuade, or entertain?
- Is the information given a fact or an opinion?
- Is the information an opinion being presented as a fact?
- Is the author or publisher biased or unbiased?
