Evaluating Your Sources Who What When Why

Evaluating Your Sources 4 W’s: Who, What, When, Why?

Why evaluate? 1. Because there is “bad” information out there o Out of date, incomplete, incorrect, misleading, deceptive, biased o Can’t tell just from appearances 2. Better sources = better paper = better grades 3. Critical thinking = better paper = better grades 4. A skill that makes a difference in consumer choices, health decisions, politics, and every area of life.

4 Evaluation Factors:

Who? (Who is responsible for the source?)  

Author credentials available? Is the author qualified to write on the topic?

What? (What kind of source is this?) 

Is this a scholarly/peer reviewed source? Are proper research methods followed?

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Are proper citation/documentation methods followed?

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When? (Is the source up-to-date enough?)  

Does the topic you are researching require current data? When was the information authored/created or last updated?

Why? (What was the creator’s purpose for creating the source?) 

Is there a discernable bias or agenda? Misinformation or propaganda?

Center for Learning and Technology SUNY Empire State College

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7/20/09

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More information on identifying agenda/bias: http://tinyurl.com/infoeval

Center for Learning and Technology SUNY Empire State College

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7/20/09