AI Research in Teaching and Learning (RiTL) Faculty Learning Community

When evaluating sources consider the following questions:

 Authority

Who is the author of the source? Are they an expert?

• Check their affiliations. Are they active in the scholarly conversation? Google the author.
• Keep the context in mind. Is the resource from a government agency, university, company, non-profit organization? What voices are missing from the conversation? 

 Objectivity

What is the purpose of the source? Why was it created?

• Consider the type of source and how the information was created, revised, and disseminated.
• Check for biases. Is the sponsoring organization biased or motivated to report facts from a particular perspective?

 Currency

When was it created and has it been updated?

• Does your topic require current information? Could the information have changed?

 Accuracy

Where can the information be verified?

• ​​Is the information contained in the source properly cited? Check the references and follow the links. 
• Are the statistical data clearly explained? Are charts and graphs properly represented and cited?

 Coverage

Does this source match your information needs?

• Why would you choose this source instead of another?
• Is the information complete? Does it cover the subject in depth? Keep the context in mind.

To find out if a journal is peer-reviewed (also known as refereed), you can use the Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory. Search by journal title, ISSN, etc. and look for the tiny referee shirt as an indicator.

Visiting a journal's website will also help you discover if it is peer-reviewed and what the review process is like. 

Some databases also offer filters that allow you to limit your search to peer-reviewed materials only, and some databases use icons to indicate which materials are peer-reviewed.