Chapter 5: Evaluating Sources
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the sources of the information you have found.
- Evaluate the content of selected material for your purposes.
5.1 Overview of evaluation of sources
Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops. (Association of College & Research Libraries, 2016).
You developed a viable research question, compiled a list of subject headings and keywords and spent a great deal of time searching the literature of your discipline or topic for sources. It’s now time to evaluate all of the information you found. Not only do you want to be sure of the source and the quality of the information, but you also want to determine whether each item is appropriate fit for your own review. This is also the point at which you make sure that you have searched out publications for all areas of your research question and go back into the literature for another search, if necessary.
In general, when we discuss evaluation of sources we are talking about looking at quality, accuracy, relevance, bias, reputation, currency, and credibility factors in a specific work, whether it’s a book, ebook, article, website, or blog posting. Before you include a source in your literature review, you should clearly understand what it is and why you are including it. According to Bennard et al., (2014), “Using inaccurate, irrelevant, or poorly researched sources can affect the quality of your own work.” (para. 4).
When evaluating a work for inclusion in, or exclusion from, your literature review, ask yourself a series of questions about each source.
5.1.1 Evaluating books
For primary and secondary sources you located in your search, use the ASAP mnemonic to evaluate inclusion in your literature review:
<IP_ADDRESS> Age
Is it outdated? The answer to this question depends on your topic. If you are comparing historical classroom management techniques, something from 1965 might be appropriate. In Nursing, unless you are doing a historical comparison, a textbook from 5 years ago might be too dated for your needs.
A General Rule of Thumb:
5 years, maximum: medicine, health, education, technology, science
10-20 years: history, literature, art
<IP_ADDRESS> Sources
Check reference or bibliography sources as well as those listed in footnotes or endnotes. Skim the list to see what kinds of sources the author used. When were the sources published? If the author is primarily citing works from 10 or 15 years ago, the book may not be what you need.
<IP_ADDRESS> Author
Does the author have the credentials to write on the topic? Does the author have an academic degree or research grant funding? What else has the author published on the topic?
<IP_ADDRESS> Publisher
Look for academic presses, including university presses. Books published