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Education

Education Resources at SDSU Library

How to Evaluate Your Sources

 Consider the author, title, publisher, date of the publication, and article content. 

Who is the intended audience?

 Is there a bias or point of view?  

Who is the author? What is their reputation? Have they published anything else? What are the credentials?  Is the author affiliated with or sponsored by any named individuals or organizations in the source? Is the author listed with contact information (street address, e-mail)?

Is it a recent publication?

What is the publisher's or publication's reputation? Do they specialize in publishing certain topics or fields?Is the publisher scholarly (university press, scholarly associations)? Commercial? Government agency? Self (“vanity”) press?

What is academic level of the source? Highly scientific and complex terminology and concepts? Very simple and in layperson's terms? Are any conclusions offered? If so, based on what evidence and supported by what primary and secondary documentation? Are diverse perspectives represented? Is the content relevant to your information needs?