TAFTCOLLEGE
Just because something is in print does not mean that it's a good, reliable, authoritative, appropriate source of information for your research. Listed below are some important criteria to consider when evaluating a book - or any information source - for your research.
Criteria | Suggestions for how to determine whether or not the book meets the criteria |
Content Does it cover your subject? |
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Date Do you need recent information or a current perspective on an old issue? Or do you need an account of an event from the time it actually happened? |
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Authority Is the information reliable? Is the information authoritative? |
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Level of difficulty Is the information written at a level you can understand and use? Who is the intended audience: the scholar/ specialist or the lay person? |
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Purpose for writing What is the bias/ perspective of the work? |
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Some content has been adapted from the Thomas G. Carpenter library.