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ED 604: Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Development of Learners: Evaluating Sources

Selecting the Right Research Sources

Finding research sources is just one part of the research process.  You also need to evaluate the sources for their credibility and trustworthiness.  You also need to select sources that are relevant to your research and useful in answering your research question, proving your point, or furthering your understanding of your topic.  Below, you'll find some videos and a tool that can help you better understand how to select just the right sources for your research needs.

Introduction to the ABC's

This guide will walk you through the "ABC's of Credibility". As you pursue academic research and evaluate various information sources, it's critical to assess their credibility and trustworthiness. The "ABC's of Credibility" provide a useful framework to guide you in this process.


 

A - Authority

  • Author expertise and qualifications - What are the author's credentials and background in this subject area? Are they affiliated with reputable institutions or organizations? Do they have appropriate education, training, and experience to be knowledgeable on this topic?
  • Type of publication - Is the source a book, academic journal, magazine, newspaper, website, blog? Is it a peer-reviewed scholarly publication? Generally, academic and professional sources are seen as more credible than popular media.
  • Date of publication - Is the source up-to-date for the topic? When was it last updated? How recently was it published?
  • Questioning Authority- Has the authority been questioned? Is this an isolated instance or a well-reasoned, tried and tested argument? Have people disagreed with it, and if so, what merits do their disagreements bear?

B - Biases

  • Publisher reputation - For books/articles, what is the reputation of the publisher? Is it an established, reputable academic press or organization?
  • Site sponsorship - For websites, who is responsible for the site? Is it tied to respected institutions, organizations, companies, or individuals? What might their motivations be for publishing this content?
  • Objectivity - Does the source seem objective and unbiased? Or does it seem driven by a particular agenda or point of view?

C - Craftsmanship

  • Writing quality - Is it clear, accurate, precise, and error-free? Or is the writing poor in quality?
  • Logic and reasoning - Does the author make logical arguments and connections? Is their reasoning biased or emotionally driven?
  • Evidence and citations - Does the author provide citations and references to credible sources? Is the information well-supported by evidence?

selecting information sources using Drams