Evaluating Sources

As per the Google definition of Evaluating sources : when doing research can be a complex task. Your papers credibility depends upon the reliability of the information you use to support your points. There are times when, along with authoritative and scholarly sources, other information, such as interviews and personal observations are valid sources. 

Media Bias/ Fact Check

​Find out where your "news source" is ranked
​Find out where an image has appeared over time

RADCAB

Your Vehicle for Information Evaluation

C R A A P

eval_websites.pdf
File Size: 72 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

WIKIPEDIA

1. Wikipedia is a great place to START, but it should never be where you stop researching for an assignment! It can offer tons of information, links, resources, etc. You can also use it to figure out specific names and search terms to help you find other resources. 

2. At minimum, when completing an assignment that requires research, you should use 3-5 independent sources to validate and verify information. You might have to look at 20 sites to find the 3-5 that you are going to use. This is what keeps you from getting trapped by inaccurate information on the web.

3. Wikipedia can be one of the sites you use to verify/validate, but it shouldn't be a site that you cite in an academic research paper. The main reason is because, even if the information is accurate, you don't know who to credit. The article has had multiple authors, editors, etc. One part could be biased one way, another part biased another way. 

4. General encyclopedias are not considered scholarly sources that are at a high enough level for secondary school or university research. Wikipedia is like a general encyclopedia, so it isn't scholarly enough to be a source for your paper.

See Some Other Tools