Library Help: ENGL 1106: Evaluating Sources

Common kinds of Information

Type	Popular Periodical	Trade Publication	Academic Journals
Example	Scientific American	Concrete Construction	Journal of Civil Engineering and Management
Author	Journalist or specialist	Someone working in the field or a journalist who specializes in reporting in a field	Researcher or expert in the field
Audience	General Public	People working in the Field	Researchers, scholars, experts with credentials
Purpose	To entertain or inform	To inform through practical information for professionals working in a field	To notify and explain specific often original research
Appearance	Glossy with advertisements for a general audience	Semi-Glossy with advertisements for professionals in a particular field	Long articles. Often include charts, graphs, and statistics. Little or no advertising.
References	Rare. Perhaps links	Occasional. One or two citations	Extensive citations

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?