ENGL 099 Introductory Composition

formerly English 100

Assess your information

ABCs of Evaluating Information

It was easy to find, but is it the right info? Be sure to evaluate your sources!

Authority
  • Author: Who wrote the information? Is it signed by an author? What is the person's expertise? Academic? Firsthand?
  • Publisher: Who published the information? If it is a website, is contact and organization information available? What can you learn from the domain? Educational: .edu | commercial: .com | Nonprofit: .org | governmental: .gov
  • Citations: Is the work researched and are the ideas, facts, and research-supported with citations?

Appropriateness
  • Relevance: Is the information relevant to your topic? What is the central point or thesis?
  • Focus: How does the thesis support, develop, or refute your topic? How does it work with your other sources?
  • Appropriateness: Is this information source appropriate for college academic work?
Bias
  • Purpose: what is the purpose of the information? Is it to entertain? In form? Advertise? Persuade?
  • Audience: who is the intended audience for the information?
  • Evidence: is the information supported by other information in the field? If a website, does it link to other credible sources of this information?
  • Balance: Is the information balanced? Does it promote a particular perspective or agenda?
Currency
  • Date: Is the information up-to-date? Is it current enough for your purposes?
  • Updates: If a website, is the date of publication available? Is the webpage updated regularly?
  • Links: If a website, are the links to other information current do the links work?

You can download a copy of this checklist. Use it to critically assess information in your academic work and in your life.

Assess these sites

The web sites linked here are some of the first returns from a Google search of STEM education.

Assess each with the rubric on this page