FAQs - Evaluation
How do I evaluate books, articles, and websites?
Evaluation is a key component of good research. When researching it is important to evaluate all sources critically. Having some criteria helps to make this complex process simple. Five basic areas of evaluation are: Authority; Accuracy; Timeliness; Objectivity (Bias); Scope or Coverage.
Authority refers to the parties responsible for the material. This can include for example authors, publishers, sponsors, directors, and artists. Knowing who is responsible for a particular resource can help a researcher begin to identify the environment in which the piece was produced.
Determining the accuracy of a source is a vital part of research. Often a simple way to do this is to see if certain ideas or facts are repeated in additional sources. Also, if a source has a bibliography, it atomically lends credibility, for the research can then verify the sources.
Timeliness, sometimes called currency, is usually easy to determine, but nonetheless very important. What dates are associated with the work? and Is this important to your particular research. For instance, with medical research, timeliness is of utmost importance, while with other disciplines, it may be less significant.
The objectivity of the author is important to consider. It will help to inform the reader/researcher about the purpose and intended audience of the piece. Knowing the author's point of view helps to formulate an accurate basis for analysis. It is incorrect to consider the question of bias as a 'yes' or 'no' proposition. Rather the degree of bias is a more appropriate metric to consider.
The coverage or scope of a resource describes how in depth the topic is investigated. Is it merely a broad overview or does it delve deep into the subject? Also consider the intrinsic value of the research. Experiments with marshmallow bunny peeps make for humorous reading, however, the scientific value of it is questionable.
This simple introduction to evaluation barely scratches the surface ( a good scope example). If you have further questions or would like to see some examples, please see the Information Literacy E-text Evaluation Page.
Contributed by Prof. Greg Szczyrbak
