Once you’ve found some sources, you’ll need to figure out if they’re any good. Just because you found them in a library database doesn’t mean they will work for your project. There are many ways to evaluate the sources you find. One way is to ask yourself a series of critical questions about each source.
The resources below will help guide you through the evaluation process. Look closely at all three links.
Use these question to help you determine whether a source is worth keeping. You'll use these questions for the exercise below.
This guide from WIU contains some special considerations for different types of sources.
Purdue's OWL contains great information on all aspects of academic writing and research. Check out their guide on evaluating sources.
Now that you've explored some methods for evaluating your sources, let's put your skills into action. For this exercise, complete the following steps:
Your ENG 180 instructor may require you to turn in your work or come to class prepared to discuss the evaluation you conducted.