INQ 300 Issues in Education: How to Evaluate Sources

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When evaluating the veracity of sources (articles, websites, etc.) consider the following criteria:

1.  Are the sources authoritative and relevant? Is it possible to determine:

• Currency of information
• Sources cited in the work / Sources citing the work
• Person(s) participating in creating the source
• If there are balance viewpoints
• Peer Reviewed / Refereed / Scholarly
• To what sites do the links/URLS in the sources go

2.  Are the sources from:

• Trade publications (e.g. Time/Warner )
• University presses (e.g. Duke University Press)
• Professional associations (American Chemical Society, National Education Association )
• Primary, secondary, tertiary sources
• Websites (for example: .com,  .org., .edu, .gov)

For more information about evaluating sources, review the recommended sites below: