Getting Started in the Library

Evaluating Books

Books can be tricky to assess for scholarly content. Generally the library evaluates the content of print material before ordering items and placing them in the collection. Some things to look for if you need scholarly resources:

• Is the book published by a University Press?
• Credentials of author or editor: are they an expert in the field, a professor? Conduct some investigations to find out.
• Are there citations/bibliography?
• Are there reviews of the book?

Keep in mind, just because you find something on the library shelves or though one of the library's databases, does not mean it is a scholarly source.

Evaluating Journal Articles

If you are searching for articles through the library's General Search, use the advanced search option and click scholarly peer reviewed or academic journal under the limit search results box. The same applies when searching in individual databases. Having said that, it's still always a good idea to assess a journal article on its own merits.

• Is the journal published by a University Press or Professional Organization?
• Are the author’s credentials included?
• Does the article include citations and a bibliography?
• Does the article have an abstract?
• Is the journal mostly text (with some illustration and tables) or does it have advertisements?

Evaluating Websites

Websites can be useful tools for accessing information. Keep in mind though that information on the Internet is not always current, accurate or authoritative. Ask questions like:

• Who made and maintains this site? What are their credentials? Is the information current?
• What is the domain name of the site? 
• Is there an about page on the site that states who made it?

Important Considerations

In addition to the above methods for determining the credibility of a resource, consider the following questions:

• What do the different types of authority look like in your particular context or community of practice?
• What happens when one perspective is promoted and others are left unexpressed within your field?
• How do you critique persuasive, incomplete, prejudiced, or manipulative information, including images, text, and other creative media?
• What are your informed parameters and guidelines for determining authority within your discipline and practice?

Created by North Carolina State University Libraries. Creative Commons Licence NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States

More considerations for evaluating resources: (thanks to Dawn Stahura and Ana Diab)

ACT UP Criteria

Author

• Who wrote the resource?
• What are their credentials/affiliations?
• What experience do they have with the topic?

Currency

• When was this resource written?
• When was it published?
• Do you need the most current information for your topic?

Truth 

• How accurate is this information?
• Can you verify any of the claims in other sources?

Unbiased

• Is the information presented to sway the audience to a particular point of view?
• Resources, unless otherwise stated, should be impartial.

Privilege

• Check the privilege of the author 
• Who is missing in this conversation?
• Critically evaluate the subject terms associated with each resource you found. How are they described? What are the inherent biases?

5 Questions Criteria

• WHO (expertise, experience, credentials of creator)
• WHAT (relevance to your topic)
• WHERE (well cited, verifiable) 
• WHEN (current, up-to-date)
• WHY (information to sell a product, promote POV, or inform)

CRAAP Evaluation Criteria