Good Sources
- Answer your research question
- Support your general argument with reliable information (statistics, timelines, bibliographies, etc.)
- Provide background information on your topic
- Take different perspectives that you can discuss in your paper
How to Assess Sources
To assess individual sources, you must have some idea of what your research question is in the first place, and what you want to achieve in your paper. The process of conducting research will help you to determine this, but it will take time and patience. Don't expect it to be quick, and don't be discouraged if you find more bad sources than good at first. Your professors and Waggoner Library are here to help, so don't be afraid to ask us!
Here is some criteria you can use to evaluate specific sources.
Books
- Check the table of contents and the index.
- Look for your keywords in chapter titles and headings, as well as important names and terminology
- Does this look like a book that engages with some of your research question, either in a general or specific sense?
- Browse the bibliography or works cited list (may be found at the end of the book or at the end of each chapter).
- Do some of these sources seem relevant? You can even find them yourself to use as additional sources in your paper.
Articles
- Read the abstract (summary). This is a short description of article and should help you determine what the author is basically going to discuss in the article. Most articles in library databases have an abstract but if they don't... read the introduction. It will help in the same way.
- Use the FIND feature on your computer (Control/Command + F) to locate keywords or phrases. Some databases will highlight these for you automatically. Read the surrounding text for context. Does this help answer your research question?
- Browse the bibliography or works cited list (may be found at the end of the book or at the end of each chapter).
- Do some of these sources seem relevant? You can even find them yourself to use as additional sources in your paper.
- Here are some further tips on reading an academic journal article. It's an art, not a science!
Websites
Click here for more information.
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Below are some helpful links for more about evaluating sources!
