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GLE 230 Composition Guide: Evaluating Information

 

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Where can I find information on evaluating sources?

Do I need to evaluate articles I get from databases?

Yes - but some of the work has already been done for you. 

If you find an article in a library database you know that the source (journal) has already gone through an evaluation process for reputation and credibility.  The database will also identify sources for you as scholarly/academic or popular/magazines.

When looking at sources in the databases you should think about:

  • Date - How timely is this article?  Is the date this article was researched and published relevant to my topic?
  • Relevant - Is the article related to my topic, or just the title?
  • Language - Is the article in a language you read?  Or just the abstract?