University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Frederick Douglass Library

How to Critically Analyze Information Sources

While researching information on your topic, you will need to critically evaluate materials retrieved.  It is possible to begin the evaluation process before you have the resource in hand.  To do this, look at the bibliographic citation of the item.  A citation is a description of the published item.  Bibliographic citations have common characteristics:  author, title, and publication information.  It is these characteristics that will enable you to do an initial appraisal. 

 

Doing the initial appraisal:

 

bulletAuthor – What are the author’s credentials?  Is the published item in the author’s field of expertise?  Has your instructor mentioned this author?  Is this author cited in other sources? 

 

bulletPublication Information
 
bulletDate of Publication – When was the item published? Is the source current or out-of-date for your topic?  (Please note, that in some subjects currency is not necessarily a disadvantage)
bulletEdition – Is it the first edition?-if so, are there more recent editions? 
bulletPublisher – Who published the publication?  Was it John Doe or a university press?
 
bulletIs this a scholarly or a popular journal? This distinction is important because it is indicative of different levels of complexity in conveying ideas.

 

After doing the initial appraisal, you need to investigate the body of the source.  Read the preface to determine the author's intentions for the book. Scan the table of contents and the index to get a broad overview of the material it covers. Note whether bibliographies are included. Read the chapters that specifically address your topic. Scanning the table of contents of a journal or magazine issue is also useful. As with books, the presence and quality of a bibliography at the end of the article may reflect the care with which the authors have prepared their work.

 

Analyzing the Content:

 

bulletIntended Audience – Who is the author addressing? - Researchers & scholars, students, or the general public? 
 
bulletObjective Reasoning – Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?  Is the information valid and credible?  Are you able to verify the information provided?  Is it biased? Is it because the author said so?
 
bulletCoverage/Scope – Does this validate information in other sources?  Is it an extensive coverage of your topic or is it a mere mention?  Is it a primary or secondary source? 
 
bulletWriting Styles – Is the publication organized?  Is the information presented clearly?  Is it choppy?  Are you able to read the text?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TBW/June 2003