|
It is important to evaluate all of your resources (books, articles, podcasts, videos, etc.). Think about the following: |
Purpose |
What is the source trying to do: entertain? persuade? sell? inform?
|
Authority |
Who's responsible for the information? author? publisher? Are references included?
|
Accuracy |
Is the information correct? true? How does it compare with others?
|
Objectivity |
Is it inherently biased? Are there other sides to the story?
|
Currency |
Is the information up-to-date? timely?
|
Coverage |
How much detail is included? What's excluded?
|
For more information, consult the USM Library’s Evaluating Web Resources guide, or Evaluating Web Pages (UC Berkley) for more in-depth evaluation criteria.
For online journal articles, see if the database offers a formatted citation in the style you need. Check it for accuracy, because the vendor makes no guarantees, and formatting can change when you copy/ paste into a new file.