Every source should be evaluated individually. Use these criteria. When in doubt, ask a librarian.
- Authority:
- Who is the author and what is her expertise? Does she have the credentials to be writing about the topic?
- Do a web search on her name: What else has she written, where does she work/ with what organizations is she affiliated?
- Citations / Evidence:
- Where do the authors get their evidence? Do you see citations and references to scholarship and research?
- Currency:
- Currency depends on your topic.
- Search a book or article title in Google Scholar to see who has cited the work recently.
- Peer Review:
- Applies to articles written in academic journals that are evaluated in a double blind refereed process.
- We use the term scholarly to describe books written by academics/experts in the field.
