| Quality Sources
Use the following criteria to help you decide whether you can rely
on a source of information for your academic work. These principles
come in handy especially when you are looking at Web sites, but you
will want to keep them in mind for any information source.
| Authority |
|
Who is the author or organization responsible for the information?
What are the credentials of the author and do those credentials
make her qualified to talk about the topic? Is it published
in a reputable source? |
|
| Responsibility |
|
Where did the author's information come from? Do you see
any sources cited, such as a bibliography or footnotes? Does
the author provide any contact information? |
|
| Point of View |
|
Can you detect a bias in the information given? Does the
identity of the author indicate a bias in one direction? Does
the author provide arguments on all sides of the issue before
defending his views? |
|
| Currency |
|
Does your topic require the most current information? When was
the source published? How current is the author's background
information (look at the bibliography)? |
|
