Questions to ask
In what context was the information written? For example, where and when was it written? Why was it written? Who was the intended audience - general readers, experts, academics?
Is the content appropriate for your level of study?
What time period is covered by the article?
What geographical area is covered? For example, books about divorce law in Canada don't help people in Kentucky.
Is this information part of a more comprehensive source? If so, who abridged it and why?
Is it original information, or information reproduced from another webpage or print publication?
Does the page require special software to view information? If so, are you missing some of the information?
Is some information limited to fee-paying customers?
Is it primary or secondary source material?
What to look for on a webpage
Is there an abstract or summary that may be useful for evaluating the source?
If the source is abridged, is there a link to the original?
Do you see links to pay for further information? Are there "pop-ups" requesting payment in order to see the all the information?
Are there references?
What to look for in print material
Are there references? Is there a bibliography?
Is there an abstract, preface or introduction that will help in evaluating the appropriateness of the coverage?
Check your instructor’s guidelines to be sure you have covered all aspects of your research topic.
Primary sources are original documents or objects that provide first-hand information such as diaries, letters, memoirs, speeches, interviews, eye-witness accounts, original artwork, photographs, audio or video recordings.
Primary sources can also be first-hand accounts of studies, surveys, data, or statistics. If the person who conducted the study wrote the article, it is a primary source.
Secondary sources are secondhand accounts that interpret, analyze, and discuss primary sources.
WKU Libraries has subscriptions to the databases listed below. These databases contain primary sources.
Questions to ask
When was the resource originally created?
Has the resource been recently updated?
Is the information current enough for your topic? Be sure to put currency into context. Computer science is an area that moves very quickly, so sources need to be more recent than a topic such as history.
Who maintains the website? Is the site stable? Will you be able to access it a month from now? If the URL changes is a hyperlink to the new site made available?
Are there broken links that would indicate that the site is not being kept up-to-date?
Does the software used in the site present limitations?
What to look for on a webpage
Look near the top and the bottom of the webpage to see if any publication date, copyright date or "date last modified" is indicated.
Look for other indications that the page is kept current. Is there a "What's New" section? If you are using a website with content written by different people, there may be different dates - a date for the website as a whole, and a date when the individual article/post was written.
Check the collected date and / or published date of any statistical data or charts.
What to look for in print material
Look at the publications details at the front of a book. Has the information been revised or updated? For a journal, look on the cover or title page.
