To evaluate a resource you must think about how much the author knows about the subject. Here are some clues to help you answer that question:

 

1. Has the author signed the work?

 

 

 

2. Is it dated?

 

 

 

3. Is there a bibliography?

 

 

 

4. Did you find another author saying something similar?

 

 

 

5. Does the author leave out important information that you found in other sources?

 

 

 

6. Are there new discoveries in the field? If, so does the author know about them?

 

 

 

7. If the source is on World Wide Web:

• Does the author give an e-mail address so you can communicate directly?

   

• When was the entry updated last?

   

• Does the author provide links to other sources? If so, what kind? For example, do the links try to get you to buy something?

   

You should also ask yourself whether the information the author gives you makes sense. Here are some clues that help you decide:

1. Does the author provide some evidence to support his or her ideas?

 

 

 

2. Does he or she use words that may mean more than their strict definitions? Words such as "vigilante," stonewalled," and "reactionary" carry emotional meanings.

 

 

 

3. Does the author use absolute words like "always" and "never," or superlatives like "the best" or "the worst"? These should always raise questions.

 

 

 

4. Is the argument logical?

 

 

 

5. Is critical information left out?

 

 

 

6. If the source is on the World Wide Web, what are the last three letters of the URL address?

• "edu" shows you the item was published by a school or college.

   

• "gov" means it was published by a governmental agency.

   

• "com" means it was published by a business, which may want to sell its product.

   

• "org" means it was sponsored by an organization, which may want you to support its particular cause.

   

Note that these are just guidelines. Some college and university sites are not good, and some business sites are excellent.

 

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