Literature Reviews and Annotated Bibliographies

C - Currency

The timeliness of the information:

• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Does your topic require current information, or will older sources also work?
• Are the links functional?

R - Relevance

The importance of the information for your needs:

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information appropriate (i.e., not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
• Have you looked at various sources before determining which one you will use?
• Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?

A - Authority

The source of the information:

• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
• Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
• Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
  • .com = Commercial sites
  • .edu = Educational institutions
  • .gov = Government
  • .mil = Military

A - Accuracy

The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content:

• Where does the information come from?
• Does evidence support the information?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any information from another source?
• Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar, or typographical errors?

P - Purpose

The reason the information exists:

• What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain, or persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

Reading critically (summary from How to Read Academic Texts Critically)

• Who is the author? His/her standing in the field.
• What is the author’s purpose? Offer advice, make practical suggestions, solve a specific problem, to critique or clarify?
• Note the experts in the field: are there specific names/labs that are frequently cited?
• Pay attention to methodology: is it sound? what testing procedures, subjects, materials were used?
• Note conflicting theories, methodologies and results. Are there any assumptions being made by most/some researchers?
• Theories: have they evolved overtime?
• Evaluate and synthesize the findings and conclusions. How does this study contribute to your project?

Across the articles that you read, what are the:

• Common/contested findings
• Important trends
• Influential theories.

Evaluating Primary Source Sites on the Internet

         Evaluating Primary Sources ( From American Memory) 

 Guidelines for Evaluating Historical Websites

Who: Who is the author or sponsor of the website? Is that person or organization named? Is any supporting documentation available?

What: What is the mission or purpose of the website? Is it clearly articulated? What kinds of materials are on the website? Are they properly cited and acknowledged? What is the document format on the web?

Where: Where is the site located? Is there a physical address with phone number and email address for a contact person? Does the site have a .edu, .org, or .com address?

Why: Why does the site exist? Does it have a point of view or opinion? Is it pedagogical or polemic? Does it want something from you?

Useful sites

• How to read a Paper (University of Waterloo, Canada): This is an excellent paper that teach you how to read an academic paper, how to determine if it is something to set aside, or something to read deeply. Good advice to organize your literature for the Literature Review or just reading for classes.