The Internet and the Library make it is easy to find information, but it is more difficult to identify sources you can rely on. Evaluate your sources carefully to ensure you've selected material that is trustworthy and appropriate for your assignment. Use this checklist to help you evaluate your sources:
Scholarly Academic Publication |
Popular Publications |
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Author |
Written by an expert in the field of study (an academic or trained specialist) | Written by those without expertise in the field (a member of the public or journalist) or no clear author |
Date |
Date of publication is provided | Popular publications, especially those found online, often do not give a date of publication |
Publisher |
Colleges/Universities, professional associations, scholarly publishers + research institutes | Commercial for-profit publishers or members of the public |
Purpose |
To report on experiments, theories, case studies + other research | To sell advertised products, inform, promote a point of view or entertain |
Editing |
Peer review by experts in the field | Review by a generalist (a magazine editor) or no review |
Documentation |
Sources used in the author's research are cited in a reference list or footnotes | Sources are rarely cited or are inaccurate |
Other |
Accurate spelling + grammar, few advertisements, logical + well written |
Spelling + grammar errors may occur, many advertisements, poor or variable writing quality |
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(Modified, original source UBC Library) |
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For more information:
Authority |
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Accuracy |
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Purpose |
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Currency |
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Relevance |
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Wikipedia etc. |
 Wikipedia can be great to find background information!  Wikipedia has an absence of accountability, people do not need to verify the truthfulness of the information
"You see, any user can change any entry, and if enough other users agree with them, it becomes true." |
Examples |
Internet |
Databases |
| Search engines, such as Google, websites | Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO | |
Access |
Any computer with Internet connection | On-campus or off-campus with login |
Cost |
Free | Free to students, but Library pays subscription & licensing fees |
Content by |
Anyone | Scholars, professionals, experts, journalists |
Content |
Anything and everything, pictures, personal opinions, blogs, articles, etc. Biased or often misleading to change visitors' opinion of site or organization. | Full-text articles from reputable publications, often peer reviewed content. Full-text books and book chapters. References or links for related information. |
Appearance |
Personal pages, corporate pages, pages that look reliable but have no affiliation with reputable source, visually appealing pages to distract from content. | Little or no advertising, range of limiters available. Affiliated with reputable source, organization, individual or company. Contact information available. Often uses .org or .gov domains. |
Publication |
Anytime by anyone, irregular schedule. |
Typically published daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or bi-annually. Journal/periodical issues usually identified by volume and/or issue number. |
| Primary Sources | Examples |
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In the sciences, primary sources, or "primary literature" are sources which report the results of original research. Generally in research journals; report research done by the authors. Usually only include references to other primary sources. Cover very focused and specialized topics. Primary source journal articles (and sometimes conference papers/proceedings) are usually peer-reviewed or refereed ie. independent experts in the field review, or "referee" the manuscript before publication to check the accuracy and validity of its claims.
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In the sciences: typically journal articles or conference papers which describe a new theory or the results of an experiment or study. Also: Technical reports; dissertations and theses; patents; numerical data & statistics; samples, field notes and specimens; lab notes & journal entries.
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| Secondary Sources | Examples |
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In the sciences, sources which review the existing literature are "secondary sources." Generally include a large bibliography; usually the bibliographic references are primary sources. Topic coverage is more focused than tertiary sources, but less focused than primary. |
In the sciences: "review articles" in journals, research or graduate level books, specialised scientific encyclopedia entries, and scientific news reports. |
| Tertiary Sources | Examples |
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Synthesize and report on secondary sources for general readers. Sparse references, generally secondary sources. General and very broad topic coverage |
Undergraduate or course textbooks, encyclopedia articles, Wikipedia |
Adapted from The CRAAP Test, developed by librarians at California State University, Chico
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