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NAS 101: Native American Cultures: Evaluating Resources

This LibGuide is created to support the NAS 101 course at USA.

Why Evaluate Resources?

You should evaluate resources before you reference them. When you evaluate a resource, you can decide how trustworthy the information is. Evaluation isn't usually a yes-or-no, clear-cut situation. You may find that the resource has some minor quality or content issues, but it would still be valuable for your work. Please consult your professor about quality concerns you have with items you have found.

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 do not include original research.

Editorial

Editorial Example.

  • 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 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 should not include original research.

 

Evaluating Book Quality

Books can be scholarly works. Books may have: an expert author, a scholarly publisher, and proof that the book is built on research. They may or may not have book reviews, but book reviews can be helpful to understand the book's contents and quality.

  • Authorship - Book authors should have expertise and authority in the subject. This can be shown by:
    • A doctoral degree in the discipline. Most authors you can search online to see their educational background.
    • An association with an educational institution like a University or a research organization.
  • Publisher - The publisher ideally is academic. This can be an academic press or society.
  • Proof of research - Books should have a list of resources the author consulted to write. These can we called "works cited" or "bibliography". These works might be listed at the end of each chapter or at the end of the entire book.
  • Reviews - A scholarly book will likely have book reviews. These book reviews would be written by other scholars and published in academic journals. You can find book reviews by searching databases like Academic Search Complete with the book's title.

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?