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PSC 510: Evaluating Resources

This guide is designed to support PSC 510.

Why Evaluate a Resource?

Before you use a resource in your research, you should evaluate the resource's quality and appropriateness for your assignment.

Not all journal articles are of the same quality. Some articles include concerning research practices. The people studied might be only a small population, the numbers might not add up correctly, or the conclusion may be making a big guess based on little evidence.

Also, it is important to note if a resource is a primary resource or a secondary resource.

Why Care About Peer-review?

Peer-reviewed articles (also known as "refereed articles") have gone through the peer review process prior to publication.

The author's expert peers evaluate the quality of the article and the article's research. The publisher publishes the article only after the article has been approved by the expert reviewers.

If an article is peer-reviewed, you can be more confident in the article's quality.

How Can I Tell if an Article is Peer-Reviewed?

There are a few different ways to check if an article is peer-reviewed. Each journal may represent the peer-review process differently.

If you search for articles in a database like Academic Search Complete, you might have the option to filter to show only peer-reviewed articles. In Academic Search Complete, this option is in the Advanced Search screen. There is a checkbox to filter to show only peer-reviewed items.

If you use a different database, or no database at all, to find articles, you will have to do the investigating yourself.

Some publisher website layouts will have peer-review process timestamps like this:

Screenshot of a Publication History timeline with dates for the peer-review process.

Sometimes, only the article's PDF will have these timestamps.

What Kind of Article did I Find?

The same journal can publish different types of articles. These article types might not all go through peer review (be refereed).

Not all publishers label their article types! Be on the lookout to check what type of article you have accessed!

Look at different article types with me in this Article Types Video.

Book Review

Book Review Example.

  • Book reviews often start with a citation of the book being reviewed. This might include a price.
  • Book reviews are usually short.
  • Book reviews focus on the quality of one book.
  • Book reviews do not include original research.

Editorial

Editorial Example.

  • Editorials may be labeled as an editorial on the publisher's website.
  • Editorials may be long or short.
  • Editorials focus on the journal, journal issue, or another article published in the journal.
  • Editorials are written by editors.
  • Editorials do not include original research.

Opinion

Opinion Example.

  • Opinion pieces may be labeled as "Opinion" or "Commentary" on the publisher's page.
  • Opinion pieces may be long or short.
  • Opinion pieces focus on a topic adjacent to actual research. They might discuss another published article, a community's attitude towards a research topic, or questions about a discipline practice.
  • Opinion pieces likely have a references list and in-text citations.
  • Opinion pieces should not include original research.

 

Evaluating Web Information

Always review websites for appropriateness. If the website fails any of these criteria, it doesn't automatically make the website a "bad source," but the site should be critically viewed before using it for an assignment.

  • Purpose & Audience
    • Who is the site designed for?
    • Is the site scholarly or popular?
    • Are there advertisements on the site?
    • What is the overall purpose of the site?
  • Authority & Credibility
    • Can the author of the site be identified? (Is the "author" an organization?)
    • Is there any contact information for the author or organization?
    • Do the author's qualifications show expertise on the subject?
    • Is the site affiliated with a particular organization?
    • What is the domain of the site (.edu, .gov, .org, .com)? 
  • Accuracy & Reliability
    • Does the site appear to be well-researched?
    • Are there references supporting the site's statements or viewpoints? How well do the references relate to the site's claims? Are the references high-quality themselves?
    • Is it easy to tell which references support which claims?
    • Does the site include grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors?
    • How does the site compare to library resources available on the topic?
  • Currency & Timeliness
    • When was this information on the website published?
    • When was it most recently updated?
    • Are there dead links on the page?
  • Objectivity or Bias
    • Does the site present many opinions or just one?
    • Does the site present opinions or facts?
    • What biases can you identify?
    • Is the site sponsored by a company or organization?
    • Are any advertisements easy to distinguish from the informational content?
  • Structure & Navigation
    • Is the site well organized? Can you tell what content goes together?
    • Is it easy to navigate between different pages on the site?
    • Does the site have a search box?

Finally, ask yourself these questions:

  • Is this site a reliable, well-documented information source provided by a reputable author or organization?
  • Would this be a good source of information for my assignment?