Evaluating Information - English 122 - Composition II - Research Guides at Lansing Community College Library

Types of Sources

You will find many different types of sources in your research. This video explains the information cycle or how sources appear after a newsworthy event.

CRAAP Test - Evaluation Criteria

Evaluate your information using the CRAAP test. Based on what you discover, go back and research some more.

Currency

How new (or old) is the information?

Is the information out of date for your topic?

Relevance

Does the information address your topic, thesis and supporting arguments?

Is it at an appropriate level (i.e not too elementary or too advanced?)

Authority

Who wrote the information? Individual or institution? Are they credible?

Are the author's credentials or qualifications given?

Is there author's contact information?

Accuracy

Is the information consistent with other sources?

Does the information seem biased?

Are there spelling or grammar mistakes?

Purpose

Why was the information created? To persuade? To educate? To sell something?

Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions clear?

Are there political, cultural, institutional or personal biases and opinions?

What is a Scholarly Journal?

Anatomy of a Scholarly Article
Learn how to identify a scholarly article. Tutorial created by NCSU Libraries.

How can I find out what type of source I have?

Online Journals
Find out if LCC provides online access to a specific journal. If a journal is peer-reviewed, you will see this icon

Ulrichsweb: Global Serials Directory This link opens in a new window
Provides publishing information and reviews of magazines, newspapers, and journals. Includes whether a journal is peer reviewed/ refereed.

Scholarly or Not?
If you aren't sure if an article is scholarly or popular, start by answering these questions.
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University of Michigan
Media Literacy
Resources for evaluating news sources and fact checking websites.

Evaluating Books

Book Reviews
Search for book reviews published in newspapers, magazines, or journals.

Scholarly Sources

What do we mean by a scholarly source in English 122?

When looking for scholarly sources, focus on primary research, largely "experts writing for other experts":

Original research in a peer-reviewed or scholarly journal
A student interview with an expert in the field
A scholarly book published through a university press
An original government study or research
A published dissertation

The following would NOT be considered scholarly sources:

A letter to the editor or news brief in a peer-reviewed or scholarly journal
An expert quoted in a general news source
A government fact sheet, web page summary
Document such as the US Constitution or laws