To evaluate the search results, you should base your evaluation on authority, currency, intended audience, coverage, objectivity, accuracy and reviews.
The followings are some tips on how to evaluate Book, Journal articles and Websites.
Books and Journals
| Authority |
- Who is the author?
- Is the author renowned/an expert in the field of study?
- What is the author’s subject background?
- What is the stance of the author on any specific topic in the field of study?
- Is the author holding views different from other important scholars in the same field?
- Is the author affiliated with an academic institution?
- Any publication history?
Book
- What are credentials of the citation sources?
- Who is the publisher of the book?
Journal
- Does the journal publisher publish other journals in the relative fields?
- What are their credentials?
|
| Currency |
- When was it published? (Humanities: no need to be up-to-date; Science: currency is important)
- When was the data collected?
- How was the data collected? (by what means)
- Who did the data collection and analysis?
- How is the data collected and analyzed?
|
| Intended audience |
- To whom does it appeal?
- Subject expert or general public?
- Undergraduate or Postgraduate study?
|
| Coverage |
- Does it only focus on selected geographical or ethnic emphasis?
- What level of information is being provided ?
- Is it related to your research/article topic?
|
| Objectivity |
Book
- Are viewpoints for a certain side omitted intentionally?
- What is the object of the book?
- Is it a general introduction? Does it intend to influence its audiences mind?
- Does the publisher have any bias?
Journal
- Are viewpoints for a certain side omitted intentionally?
- Who funded the research?
- Does the publisher have any bias?
|
| Accuracy |
- Can the data or statistics be verified with other sources?
- Has any prior research been done in similar field?
- What are the results of this prior research?
|
| Reviews |
Book
- What do other scholars or subject experts of the same field say about it?Journal
- What do other scholars or subject experts in the same field say about it?
- Is it peer-reviewed?
|
Website
| Authority |
Who is responsible for creating / editing the website?
Personal:
- Is the author renowned/an expert in the field of study?
- What is the author’s subject background?
- What is the stance of the author on any specific topic in the field of study?
- Is the author holding views different from other important scholars in the same field?
- Is the author affiliated with an academic institution?
- If the author is affiliated with an academic institution, you can refer to the institution’s website for the author’s background details.
Organization:
- Does the organization tend to influence the public with specific points of view?
- What is the size and structure of the organization?
- What is the funding source of the organization?
|
| Currency |
- When was it published?
- When was the data collected?
- How was the data collected?
|
| Intended audience |
- To whom does it appeal?
- Subject expert or general public?
- Undergraduate or Postgraduate study?
|
| Coverage |
- Does it only focus on selected geographical or ethnic emphasis?
- Is it related to your research/article topic?
- What level of information is being provided ? (especially for websites, the level of information may not be professional enough for research use)
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