biased in any wa

Evaluating Research Sources

 

Who—authored the source? What clues are there that this author is or isn’t an authority in this particular area?

 

When—was the information published? Is it still relevant to your argument?

What—type of information does the source provide?  How might it be relevant to the essay?

 

 

Where—is this information coming from? What clues demonstrate the source’s reliability or lack thereof?

 

Why—is this info being presented? Does it aim to inform, persuade, entertain, sell??? What bearing does this purpose have on the source’s reliability and relevance?

 

How—is the info being presented? Does it seem biased in any way, and if so, how does this affect your understanding of the relevance and reliability of this source?