English 446: Global Business Communications/Khatchadourian: Evaluating Sources

As you search and find citations and/or abstracts for specific books or articles, consider the following criteria:

• Content: Is the book or article about my topic? How can I tell? Does the book or article cover my topic in sufficient depth (page length, etc.)?


• Date: Is the source current? How important is date to my topic?


• Authority/Credibility: If the source is an article, what type of publication is it in? What, if anything, can I determine about the author's background?
   

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As you look at the overall results list generated from your searches, consider the following:

• Do I have enough information? Too much or too little?
• Do I have a variety of types of sources?
• Should I try different search terms/keywords?
• Should I use another database?

Note: It is often more difficult to evaluate the contents of a book just by looking at its record in Search@UW, so it is usually best to get the book off the shelf and look through it to determine if it will be a good source for your research.
 

For more extensive lists of criteria to use in evaluating the sources you have identified, try one of these online tutorials:

Review these tips in order to evaluate the credibility of news stories and other internet sources:

"How to Spot Fake News" by IFLA / CC BY 4.0.

Here are some things to remember when conducting research on open-access websites:

• Most information on the web does not go through a review process
• Some information on the web is not free
• Information on the web is not necessarily organized or indexed
• Most information on the web is not permanent.

In contrast, here are some benefits to using library resources:

• Library resources go through a review process
• Library resources are free or discounted for your use
• Library resources are organized
• Library resources are collected for current & historical research
• Library resources come with librarian assistance.