Source evaluation is the process of determining which sources will be most helpful to you in your research inquiry. We're all already doing this unconsciously all the time any time we seek information, from searching out steps to help you resolve an issue with your computer to finding trustworthy reviews before visiting a new place. One of the goals of the more formalized research you're doing in your classes is to help you learn to navigate that process a bit more consciously.
In Libraries, we call this skill set Information Literacy, or the ability to know when more information is needed, find that information, and use it effectively.
This process can take several forms depending on the type of research you're doing, including:
To learn more about Source Evaluation, watch the following video by USU Libraries [3 minutes] which offers a great introduction to how to approach evaluation sources, or visit the tabs above for more details from your KCC Librarians.
When you're new to source evaluation, it can be difficult to know what exactly to consider when determining whether or not a source is reliable or trustworthy. The Introduction to Source Evaluation tab of this box explains some of those basics, but the most important step is to begin to engage critically with the information you're using by asking careful questions about where the information came from, how it was constructed, and whether this is something you should be trusting.
There are a few different ways of framing this process, and the CRAAP Test tab above covers the most popular. But regardless of the approach you use, you're generally asking questions about the following aspects of the source:
The following video created by your KCC Librarians [4 minutes] more thoroughly explains this broad approach to source evaluation.
The CRAAP Test is a common method of explaining the components of source evaluation. It is an acronym that stands for:
Currency - How current is this information? Is there other, more up to date information that may bring this source into question? Does your topic require the most recent data?
Relevance - Is this source relevant to your research topic? How do you think it will help you address your problem/answer your research question?
Authority - What makes this source an authority on this topic? Is the author trustworthy? Has it been shared by a reputable publisher? What are their biases? Is any of that information obscured or difficult to identify?
Accuracy - Is the information provided legitimate? Is it transparent about how it came to its conclusions? Are potential biases acknowledged? Are there obvious errors that may indicate larger problems?
Purpose - Why was this source created? To inform? To persuade? To entertain? To inflame? Consider how the language of the source makes you feel about the topic and if it's a sign of a potential problem with the reliability of the way the information is being presented.
The following video by the ANU Library [4 minutes] explains these components in a bit more detail. Please note that the video makes a slight alteration in the acronym from Currency to Timeliness resulting in the model being referred to as the TRAAP Test, but the method is the same.
Some of your assignments may require you to use scholarly, academic, or peer-reviewed sources. While there are some technical distinctions between these terms, generally they are all different ways of getting at the same concept, which is that even if a source is reliable or trustworthy, that still doesn't mean it provides the best or most thorough explanation of a topic.
The Peer-Review process is how academic and scholarly publishers ensure the information they share is held to the highest standard. The following video created by your KCC Librarians [3 minutes] explains a bit more about what that process entails, but it is good to keep in mind that while the peer-review process doesn't guarantee a source is free from mistakes or biases, it does make it much more likely to be reliable information.
These sources can be more challenging to read than magazines and newspaper articles. The video below also has some suggestions for how to approach academic sources when you're new to work with them. You don't want to read them in order right away. Instead look for the highlights in the abstract, introduction, and conclusion to see if the article aligns with your topic before delving into the more dense material in the body of the text.