Evaluating Sources

What do we mean by 'evaluating sources'?

Evaluating is a process of assessing the quality of a source. It involves weighing up its relative strengths and weaknesses taking into account factors such as reliability, accuracy, authority, currency, point of view or bias.

Why is evaluating sources important?

Academic writing is evidence based. We discuss and cite sources to demonstrate knowledge of existing research on the topic and support our arguments with evidence. The standard of evidence is only going to be as good as the standard of the sources we cite, so evaluating sources carefully and applying critical thinking to the literature is essential. 

What is the process involved?

There are two stages to evaluating sources. The first is to decide whether a source is useful, relevant, and sufficiently reliable. The second stage is to critically appraise the source. This is where we consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of the study, both on its own terms and in the context of a wider body of research. 

This guide will offer advice on evaluating sources and equip you with some useful tools to help along the way.

Google is a good starting point for research but it's not the best place to find academic literature. This short video explains the reasons why.