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HIST 288: Reference Sources

Reference Databases

Evaluating Reference Sources

Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating reference sources for credibility and relevance to your research:

  1. Who is the author?
    1. Was the source written by a scholar or a group of publisher editors?
    2. Is the publisher scholarly?
  2. Is the reference entry from a specific encyclopedia? Does the title and subject matter of the Encyclopedia effect the content or focus of the reference entry?
  3. How recent is the source? Is recency important for the subject matter?

Looking Up Articles From Citations

Looking Up Books from Citations

Subjects: History