Evaluating Sources

Not every source contains trustworthy information. For this reason, after you identify a possible
source (either in print or online), you still have to evaluate it — that is, determine its suitability.
Although a librarian or an instructor has screened many of the print and electronic sources in
your college library for general accuracy and trustworthiness, you cannot simply assume that
these sources are right for your particular writing project. Before you can proceed, you need to
ask two questions: Does this source treat your subject in enough depth? Is this source
trustworthy?

Using chatbots for research

Tempting as it is to use an AI chatbot, such as ChatGPT or Bard, as a virtual research assistant,
you should be aware of its limitations. Researchers have reported that some chatbots produce
responses that seem credible, but when checked, they are found to be made up. For this
reason, you cannot consider a chatbot a reliable source of information. You should carefully
evaluate factual material you get from a chatbot by tracing it back to (and documenting) the
original source. You can, however, use a chatbot to brainstorm ideas, to find articles, or (with
your instructor's permission) to help you edit your essay.

The sources you find on the web demand much closer scrutiny than those accessed through
your college library’s databases. Although some web material (journal articles that are
published in both print and digital format, for example) is reliable, other material (such as
personal websites and blogs) may be unsuitable for your research. On the web, almost anything
goes — exaggerations, misinformation, errors, and even complete fabrications — so you have
to evaluate the material very carefully before you use it. When you encounter a website, be
sure to approach it skeptically. In other words, assume that its information is questionable until
you establish otherwise. Remember that if you use an untrustworthy source, you undercut your
own credibility.

Web sources: acceptable and unacceptable

Before you use a web source, you should consider if it is acceptable for college-level work. Here
are some brief guidelines to determine if a web source is acceptable or unacceptable.

• Acceptable Sources
Websites sponsored by reliable organizations, such as academic institutions, government, and
professional organizations
Websites sponsored by academic journals and reputable magazines and newspapers
Blogs by recognized experts in their fields
Research forums
• Unacceptable Sources
Information on anonymous websites
Information found in chat rooms or on discussion boards
Personal blogs written by authors whose expertise you cannot verify
Personal web pages
Poorly written web pages
To evaluate any source, whether print or digital, ask the following questions:

Is the Source Authoritative?

A source is authoritative when it is written by an expert. Given the volume and variety of
information online, it is particularly important to determine if it is written by a well-respected
scholar or expert in the field. To establish if the author has the expertise to write about a
subject, find out what else that author has written on the same subject, and then do a search to
see if other authorities recognize the author as an expert. For example, you can ascertain
whether the source appears in a publication that is peer reviewed, evaluated by individuals who
are experts in their particular fields. (The library’s catalog and electronic databases can provide
this information.) Keep in mind that some print sources, such as magazine articles with no listed
author, can be difficult to verify.

Determining the legitimacy of information on websites, online publications, and blogs can often
be difficult or impossible. Some sites do not list authors, and if they do, they do not always
include their credentials. In addition, you may not be able to determine how a website decides
what to publish. (Does one person decide, or does an editorial board make decisions?) Finally,
you might have difficulty evaluating (or even identifying) the sponsoring organization. If you
cannot determine if a website or other source is authoritative, do not use it as a source.

Authority
You can determine the authority of a source by asking the following questions:

What are the author’s credentials? Does the source identify the author’s academic or
professional affiliation? If the author is a recognized expert in the field that he or she is writing
about, you can usually rely on the information presented in the source.
What other books or articles on your topic has the author written? If this information is not
available, do a web search, using the writer’s name as a keyword. If you cannot confirm the
author’s expertise, do not use the source.
Can you verify the information? Is the information documented? Has the author provided a list
of references or works cited? If the source appears on a website, what information do the links
reveal? Do they lead to reputable sites or to sites that suggest that the author has a clear bias
or a hidden agenda?
Does the source appear in a reputable publication? For example, does the source appear in a
peer-reviewed journal or in a book published by a university press or by a high-quality
commercial press? In the case of a website publication, can you determine if the site is run by a
single individual or by an organization? In most cases, you should avoid information that
appears on personal websites.

Is the Source Accurate?

A source is accurate if its information is factual, correct, detailed, and up-to-date. If a university
press or scholarly journal published a book or article, you can be reasonably certain that
experts in the field reviewed it to confirm its accuracy. Books published by commercial presses
or articles in high-level magazines, such as The Atlantic and The Economist, may also be suitable
for your research — provided experts wrote them. The same is true for newspaper articles.
Articles in respected newspapers, such as the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, have
much more credibility than articles in tabloids, such as the National Enquirer or Globe.

You can judge the accuracy of a source by comparing specific information it contains to the
same information in several other sources. If you find discrepancies, you should assume the
source contains other errors as well. You should also check to see if an author includes
documentation that can help readers determine the accuracy (and the quality) of the
information in the source. Perhaps the best (and safest) course to follow is that if you can’t
verify the information you find on a website, don’t use it.

Accuracy
You can assess the accuracy of the information in a source by asking the following questions.

Does the source contain factual errors? Inaccuracies — especially those that are presented as
support for the central point of the source — should immediately disqualify a source as reliable.
Does the source include a list of references or any other type of documentation? Reliable
sources indicate where their information comes from. The authors know that people want to
be sure that the information they are using is accurate and reliable. If a source provides no
documentation, you do not have to reject it, but you should approach it cautiously.
Does the source refer to (or provide links to) other sources? If it does, you can conclude that
your source is at least trying to maintain a certain standard of accuracy.
Can you verify information? A good test for accuracy is to try to verify key information in a
source. You can do so by checking it in a reliable print source or on a good reference website
such as Encyclopedia.com.

Is the Source Objective?

A source is considered objective when it is not unduly influenced by personal opinions or
feelings. All sources reflect the biases of their authors, regardless of how impartial they may try
to be. Some sources — such as those that support one political position over another — make
no secret of their biases. Keep in mind that bias should not automatically disqualify a source. At
the very least, it should alert you to the fact that you are seeing just one side of an issue and
that you have to look elsewhere to get a fuller picture. Bias becomes a problem, however,
when it is so extreme that a source distorts an issue or misrepresents opposing points of view.

As a researcher, you should ask yourself if a writer’s conclusions are supported by evidence or if
they are the result of emotional reactions or preconceived ideas. You can make this
determination by looking at the writer’s choice of words and seeing if the language is slanted
and also by seeing if the writer ignores (or attacks) opposing points of view.

With websites, try to determine if the site has a commercial purpose. If it does, the writer may
have a conflict of interest. (Commercially motivated content is not always easy to recognize. For
example, some companies have been accused of paying people to write favorable Wikipedia
articles about their products.) The same need to assess objectivity exists when a political group
or special-interest group sponsors a site. These organizations have agendas, and you should
make sure they are not manipulating facts to promote their own goals.

Objectivity
You can assess the objectivity of a site by asking the following questions:

Does the author avoid sweeping statements and overgeneralizations? Are the author’s
assumptions supported by the facts, or are they simply opinions or preconceived ideas? Does
the author use language that suggests bias?
Is the author affiliated with an organization? Does the author’s affiliation indicate that
information might be biased? If it does, there is a conflict of interest, and you should be
skeptical.
Is the source’s purpose just to inform or explain — or is it to persuade or even to sell
something? Does that purpose affect its treatment of the issue?
Are there ads on the website on which the source appears? How are these ads connected to
the information on the website? If a commercial company, a political organization, or a special-
interest group sponsors a magazine or a website, make sure that the sponsoring organization
does not slant content to suit its purposes.

Is the Source Current?

A source is current if the information it contains is up-to-date. It is relatively easy to find out
how current a print source is. You can find the publication date of a book on the page that lists
its publication information, and you can find the publication date of a periodical on its front
cover.

Websites and blogs, however, may present problems. First, check to see when a website was
last updated. (Some web pages automatically display the current date, and you should not
confuse this date with the date when the site was last updated.) Then, check the dates of
individual articles. Even if a site has been updated recently, it may include information that is
out-of-date. You should also see if the links on a site are still live. If a number of links are not
functioning, you should question the currency of the site.

Currency
You can assess the currency of a source by asking the following questions:

Is the source up-to-date? When was it written? If the source is on a website, what is the date
on which it was posted or updated? Some websites automatically display the current date, so
be careful not to confuse this date with the date on which the page was last updated.
Is the information in the source up-to-date? Does it reflect the most current research? If you
are writing about a scientific topic, a current source may be necessary. If you are writing about
a literary or historical topic, however, you might not need the latest information.
Are all the links on a website live? If a website is properly maintained, all the links it contains
will be live — in other words, a click on a link will take you to other websites. If a site contains a
number of links that are not live, you should question its currency.
Is the Source Comprehensive?
A source is comprehensive if it covers a subject in sufficient breadth and depth. How
comprehensive a source needs to be depends on your purpose and your audience as well as on
your assignment. For a short essay, an op-ed from a newspaper or a short article might give you
enough information to support your points. A longer essay, however, would require sources
that treat your subject in depth, such as scholarly articles or even whole books.

You can determine the comprehensiveness of a source by evaluating its treatment of your
topic. Does it discuss your topic in one or two paragraphs, or does it devote much more space
to it — say, a chapter in a book or a major section of an article? You should also try to
determine the level of the source. For example, does the source cover your topic in depth, or
does it just skim the surface? Is it meant for readers who know a lot about the subject or those
with little or no knowledge? Although a source may be perfectly acceptable for high school
research, it may not be comprehensive or detailed enough for college research.

Comprehensiveness
You can assess the comprehensiveness of a source by asking the following questions:

Does the source simply provide a general overview of your topic, or does it treat it in depth?
Are you seeing the complete source or just an excerpt? If you are seeing an excerpt, consult the
original source to make sure that what you are seeing is accurate.
Does the source appear in a professional journal or in a popular magazine or general
encyclopedia? A professional journal will often treat subjects in great detail, whereas a popular
or general-interest magazine may treat topics superficially.
Is the source in a database that focuses on scholarly resources, such as Google Scholar or one of
your library’s databases? If so, you can assume that the source is suitable for college-level
research. Even if that’s the case, you should check the information in the source against the
information in other sources you have gathered.
Does the source provide information that is not available elsewhere? The sources you use
should draw original conclusions, not simply repackage information from other sources.