ENG 101 - O'Neil: Evaluating A B C (D)

Authority

• Who are the authors or creators?
• What are their credentials? Can you find something out about them in another place?
• Who is the publisher or sponsor?
• Are they reputable?
• What is the publisher’s interest (if any) in this information?
• If it's from a website, does it have advertisements?

Bias

• Is this fact or opinion?
• Is it biased? Can you still use the information, even if you know there is bias?
• Is the the site trying to sell you something, convert you to something or make you vote for someone?

Content

• What kind of information is included in the resource?
• Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Is is balanced?
• Is it provided for a hobbiest, for entertainment, or for a serious audience?
• Does the creator provide references or sources for data or quotations?

Date

• How recent is the information?
• Is it current enough for your topic?
• If the information is from a website, when was the site last updated?

This very good video from CSUCB's Pfau Library will help explain the difference between scholarly and popular articles and how to tell which you are looking at.