
Advocacy Resources are those sponsored by an organization that is trying to sell ideas or influence public opinion.These are usually sponsored by educational institutions or governmental agencies. Informational Resources are those which present factual information.org all actually mean something and can help you to evaluate the website! The look and feel of the website - Reliable websites usually have a more professional look and feel than personal Web sites.

The TAARP method described above can be used, but there are additional things you want to consider when looking at a website: Websites create an interesting challenge in evaluating credibility and usefulness because no two websites are created the same way. Extremely biased sources will often misrepresent information and that can be ineffective to use in your paper. Who are the intended readers and what is the publication's purpose? There is a difference between a magazine written for the general public and a journal written for professors and experts in the field.ĭoes this article relate to your topic? What connection can be made between the information that is presented and your thesis? An easy way to check for relevance is by reviewing the Abstract or Summary of the article before downloading the entire article.īiased sources can be helpful in creating and developing an argument, but make sure you find sources to help you understand the other side as well. Do they cite their credentials? Be sure there is sufficient documentation to help you determine whether the publication is reliable including footnotes, bibliographies, credits, or quotations. If your paper is on a topic like cancer research, you would want the most recent information, but a topic such as World War II could use information written in a broader time range.ĭoes the information come from an author or organization that has authority to speak on your topic? Has the information been peer-reviewed? (You can use Ulrichsweb to determine if a journal is peer-reviewed). Your resources need to be recent enough for your topic. Examine each information source you locate and assess sources using the following criteria: In your search for information, you eventually face the challenge of evaluating the resources you have located and selecting those you judge to be most appropriate for your needs.
