Evaluating Sources: Home

Evaluate the information you find with these three easy steps. #1: Source. Did you find the source in a library database? If so, ask yourself if it from a newspaper, magazine, or peer-reviewed journal. If it is from a newspaper or magazine, it might be credible but is probably not scholarly. If it is from a peer-reviewed journal, it’s probably scholarly. Didyou find the source through Google? If so, it may not be scholarly. If it’s from Google Scholar, it’s probably scholarly. If you’ve determined from this step that the source is probably scholarly, move on to step 2.#2: Author. What do you know about theauthor? If you only know their name, it may not be scholarly. If you know that they are affiliated with a university or research institution, it’s is probably scholarly. If you’ve determined from this step that the source is probably scholarly, move on tostep 3.#3: Content. What information is being presented? If the article presents original research or adds to the larger conversation on the topic and contains cited sources and/or a bibliography, it’s probably scholarly. If the information is a book review, opinion piece, or other non-research article, it may not be scholarly.Questions? Ask a Librarian!