When evaluating sources keep in mind the following areas:
🔍 Source Credibility & Authority:
- How do you verify an author’s expertise or credentials?
- Can a source be credible if the author isn’t an expert? Why or why not?
- What clues indicate that a journal or publisher is reputable?
🧠 Accuracy & Evidence:
- What steps can you take to cross-check information in a source?
- How do you decide if the evidence presented is strong or weak?
- What should you do if a source lacks citations or references?
⚖️ Bias & Objectivity:
- How can you tell if a source has a hidden agenda?
- Is it ever okay to use a biased source? How would you address the bias?
- What’s the difference between being persuasive and being misleading?
📆 Currency & Timeliness:
- How do you decide if a source is too outdated to be useful?
- Are older sources ever more valuable than newer ones? When?
- How can rapidly evolving fields (like tech or medicine) affect source reliability?
🎯 Relevance & Purpose:
- What makes a source “fit” a research question?
- Can a source be accurate but not relevant?
- How do you decide whether a non-peer reviewed/scholarly article adds value to your research?
🚀 Real-World Application:
- Have you ever believed misinformation? How did you realize it?
- How do you evaluate the credibility of information you see on social media?
- Why is source evaluation important beyond academic research (e.g., in politics, health, or everyday decisions)?
