Library:Help for Distance Students/Research Toolkit/Assessing

Assessing your sources

Information sources vary wildly in terms of accuracy, currency, objectivity, depth & breadth of coverage and even the authors' qualifications. Judging the quality and suitability of your sources is a key part of the research process.

• Critical Thinking: includes how to examine an author's arguments to "identify (his or her) feelings, beliefs and cultural/societal influences."

• Evaluating Information Sources: explains how to critically analyze materials and to assess how appropriate they will be for your research.

• Scholarly versus Popular: distinguishes between scholarly and popular sources, with examples and a quick check-list.