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Evaluate Sources

What are scholarly journal articles?

  • Also known "peer-reviewed articles" or "academic articles."
  • These are sources that are written and reviewed by scholars and professionals in the field.
  • Peer-reviewed means the information has been read and approved by other experts before the article is cleared for publication.
  • Journal articles provide new research and analysis about a specific topic based on scholarly research and expertise.
  • Articles are often focused on a narrow subject or a single case study.
  • Articles are intended for an academic audience.

Most professors will want you to use sources from scholarly or peer-reviewed journals for your research. Scholarly journals are very different from popular magazines. Some professors may allow articles from popular magazines for certain assignments. Always check with your professor before citing a popular magazine article.

Popular Magazine Scholarly Journal
Very visual, many photographs, many advertisements Text-heavy, few visuals other than diagrams, little to no advertising
Most articles are feature stories, reviews, editorials and other articles meant to entertain. Articles present the results of original research in a particular subject area.
Articles may report research findings, but information is often surface-level. Articles contain original research with in-depth analysis and information.
Articles rarely include a bibliography or list of sources.

All articles will cite sources and have a bibliography.
Articles will be evaluated by an editorial staff and fact-checkers, but often not reviewed by other experts in the field. All articles peer-reviewed by other experts in the field and evaluated for proper research methods.
Articles mostly written by paid staff members or freelance writers. Articles written by researchers paid by an academic institution or organization.

For more information on evaluating scholarly sources based on author, article or journal metrics, be sure to visit the Research Metrics Guide.

How do I know if a book is scholarly?

  1. Verify the purpose of the book.
    • Is the aim of the book to inform and not to persuade, entertain or "how to"?
    • A scholarly book will tend to have a more serious tone and use more formal language and use technical terms understood by scholars in the field.
  2. Find the book's author(s).
    • If a physical book, the author's information will almost always be located on the back flap. If an eBook, author information may be available on the book's homepage or in a dedicated "about the author" section.
    • What is the author's academic background?
    • Are they an authority in their field?
    • Scholarly books are almost always written by a professor or researcher affiliated with a university or other research institution.
  3. Find the book's publishing information.
    • Does this publisher have a good reputation? Is this a publisher you've heard of?
    • Most scholarly books use a university publisher (ex. Harvard University Press)
    • Many textbooks or reference books may use a commercial publisher that specializes in educational materials (ex. Scholastic, Wiley).
    • You can search the name of the publisher in the Classic Catalog. If there are a lot of other books in the library collection with the same publisher, there's a good chance the publisher is reputable.
    • Remember, anyone can publish a book about anything if they have the resources!
  4. Look at the back of the book.
    • Is there an extensive bibliography or index? If so, this indicates the author has conducted scholarly research and has cited sources appropriately.
    • Some books may list sources at the end of each chapter, or list sources in footnotes at the bottom of pages within chapters.
  5. Look at the book's back cover.
    • Are there any reviews? If so, are the reviewers fellow scholars in the same field of study?
    • Good reviews from other scholars in the field are a good indication that this is a reliable scholarly source of information.
    • You can also research book reviews using Summon and select "Book Review" in the content type options on the left side menu.

How do I know if a website is a good source of information?

Always check with your professor if you are permitted to use internet sources in your research, and if so, what types of websites are permitted.

  1. Look at the website's domain.
    • The domain is the three letter code that ends most URLs (ex. .com .gov .edu)
    • Be wary of .com and .org domains. Often these websites represent entities with a specific agenda or bias.
    • The majority of scholarly information will be located in websites with the .edu or .gov domains.
  2. Is the page an institutional site or a personal webpage?
    • Some researchers have their own blogs, so evaluate the author thoroughly.
  3. Is the website up to date?
    • Many websites publish the copyright date of the material at the bottom of the page.
    • Check any links on the website. Are they broken? If so, the website likely hasn't been maintained in some time.

Visit the Evaluating News Sources LibGuide for more information.

The CRAAP Test

One way you can quickly assess information is seeing if it passes the "CRAAP" test.
 is for 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 work as well?
  • Are the links functional?

  • Another thing to consider - does the website's copyright date match the content's currency?  Or is it just a standard range?

 is for RELEVANCY, 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 at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?

 is for AUTHORITY, or 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?

Note - to help answer Authority and Purpose questions, check out a website's About page.

 is for ACCURACY, or the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content.

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

 is for PURPOSE, or 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?

Note - to help answer Authority and Purpose questions, check out a website's About page.

Website Research: CRAAP Test by Rebecca Hill Renirie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

"Media Bias Handout" 2019 by Ame Maloney under "Creative Commons Atribution-NonCommercial 4.0"