Skip to Main Content

Library Help: ENGL 3764 Technical Writing: Evaluate Information

Evaluation Criteria

How do you decide which sources to use for your projects? Here are some questions to ask yourself as you evaluate the sources you find:

  • Who? Who created the information? What are their qualifications? How do those qualifications relate to the context in which you will use the information. 
  • What? What content is included? What kinds of evidence are used? Does the content connect to your topic? 
  • Why? What is the purpose of this source? Can you detect any attempts by the creator to deceive or provoke a reaction? 
  • Where? Where did you obtain it? Where (or by whom) was it published? 
  • When? How current is the information? Does its currency affect its accuracy? 

Popular and Scholarly