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Evaluating Sources

Learn tools you can use to evaluate information.

Activity

Take a look at each of the resources below and think about whether you would use these in your academic writing or research. You may find it helpful to apply the TRAPP test (Timeframe, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose).

Book/eBook

Green, D. (2016) How change happens. Available at: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/how-change-happens-9780198785392?cc=gb&lang=en&# (Accessed: 16 June 2025).

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 3488 votes (78.15%)
No: 975 votes (21.85%)
Total Votes: 4463

News Stories

Pandey, M. (2020) 'Coronavirus: I got a job after 280 rejections', BBC News, 15 September. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-54164417 (Accessed: 16 June 2025).

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 1587 votes (39.96%)
No: 2384 votes (60.04%)
Total Votes: 3971

Podcast

The Onion (2020) Sephora awarded NASA contract to give Moon fresh, fun makeover [Podcast]. 9 September. Available at: https://www.theonion.com/sephora-awarded-nasa-contract-to-give-moon-fresh-fun-m-1844996516 (Accessed: 16 June 2025).

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 745 votes (20.45%)
No: 2898 votes (79.55%)
Total Votes: 3643

Comment:
The Onion is one of America's premier parody news sites.

Scholarly Article

Ribeiro, M. A. (2020) 'Contributions of psychology to rethinking the decent work concept', Revista Psicologia, 3, pp. 1114-1121. DOI: 10.17652/rpot/2020.3.19488.

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 2671 votes (80.79%)
No: 635 votes (19.21%)
Total Votes: 3306

Statistics

UNICEF (2020) Malnutrition prevalence remains alarming: stunting is declining too slowly while wasting still impacts the lives of far too many young children. Available at: https://infogram.com/1pddky9y0g3mr2hmvlq5rwzjwmikekjl69v (Accessed: 16 June 2025).

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 2545 votes (83.25%)
No: 512 votes (16.75%)
Total Votes: 3057

Video

Kimmel, M. (2015) Why gender equality is good for everyone - men included [TED]. Available at: https://tinyurl.com/y3wx3rx4 (Accessed: 16 June 2025).

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 1854 votes (59.69%)
No: 1252 votes (40.31%)
Total Votes: 3106

Website

ZPi (2020) Help save the end pacific northwest tree octopus from extinction. Available at: https://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ (Accessed: 16 June 2025)

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 908 votes (30.61%)
No: 2058 votes (69.39%)
Total Votes: 2966

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia

'Sustainable city' (2025) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_city (Accessed: 16 June 2025).

Would you use this source in your academic writing and research?
Yes: 533 votes (17.61%)
No: 2494 votes (82.39%)
Total Votes: 3027

Comment:
I am sure you've been told many times by different instructors to not use Wikipedia as a source. It is not appropriate to cite Wikipedia directly in your work. Most Wikipedia articles themselves aren't yet considered reliable enough as sources for a research paper, but references and external links may support you and direct you to vital sources.