Finding Reliable Sources
For every source you wish to use as a resource for an academic paper, you should be able to answer ALL of these questions, and you should acknowledge these findings when citing the source in your paper. Your initial assignment is to find one source for the topic you choose to share with the class. Once you find a source you want to use for this class, answer the following questions:
- Who is responsible for the source? What do you know about them?
- What is the author’s general attitude toward the subject?
- What is the level of originality of the material? Can you find this material elsewhere? Is it too general or too specific?
- How authoritative or trustworthy does the material seem? Why?
- How completely does the site/article/book deal with the subject at hand?
- If a website, what sorts of links does the site contain? If an article, book, or chapter, who or what does the source site? How do these links/citations add the authority of the site? How complete and recent are they?
- How is the source biased?
- When was the source published? If a website, when was it last updated?
If you are unsure about a source, bring the information to class and together we will determine if it would be appropriate to use for a research paper and why. You should repeat this process for ALL of your work in this class (for your midterm, presentation, or final paper). If possible, consult a librarian, tutor, or e-mail your instructor if you are having trouble evaluating an online resource.