Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Resource Evaluate
Resource Evaluate
Resource Evaluate
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Evaluating Resources
Content: Naomi
http://lib.colostate.edu/howto/evalbk.html
persuade?
For example: to change point of view, outlook, beliefs, or behavior
entertain?
For example: most fiction, humor, gossip
give an overview?
For example: textbooks, encyclopedias
A university press?
Commercial publisher?
Vanity (self-published)?
University theses and dissertations are considered published by the university that
granted the degree to the student who wrote it.
Organization and Content: Examine the table of contents and/or headings to determine
if the book is organized in a logical and understandable manner. Do the contents indicate
that the book contains the information you need? Is there added material such as
appendices?
Date of Publication: Some topics, such as those in the health sciences, require current
information. Other subjects, such as geology, value older material as well as current.
Know the time needs of your topic and examine the timeliness of the book; is it:
o
up-to-date,
out-of-date, or
timeless?
Authority/author: Is the author an expert in this field? Where is the author employed?
What else has he/she written? Has he/she won awards or honors?
Bibliography: Scholarly works always contain a bibliography of the resources that were
consulted. The references in this list should be in sufficient quantity and be appropriate
for the content. Look for:
if a bibliography exists,
if the references are primary sources (ex. journal articles) or only secondary
sources (ex. encyclopedias),
Usefulness: Is the book relevant to the current research project? A well-researched, wellwritten, etc. book is not going to be helpful if it does not address the topic at hand. Ask,
"is this book useful to me"? If it is useful, does it:
support an argument
refute an argument
give examples (survey results, primary research findings, case studies, incidents)
Coverage: Does the book cover the topic comprehensively, partially or is it an overview?
Audience: For what type of reader is the author writing? Is the level of the book
appropriate for your needs? Is the book for:
general readers,
specialists or professionals,
researchers or scholars?
Illustrations: Are charts, graphs, maps, photographs, etc. used to illustrate concepts? Are
the illustrations relevant? Are they clear and professional-looking?
http://lib.colostate.edu/howto/evalweb.html
Organization and Content: Is the page organized and focused? Is it well designed?
Is the text well written? Are the links relevant and appropriate? Are the links evaluated?
Date of Production/Revision: When was the Web page produced? When was it last
revised? How up-to-date are the links? Are the links still viable?
Authority/author Who is responsible for the page? Is the author an expert in this
field? What else has he/she written or produced? Does the author provide an e-mail
address? How accurate is the provided information? Is a bias evident?
What is it? Web-only page, journal article, government source, blog, etc.?
Illustrations: Are the graphics clear in intent, relevant and professional looking? Do
the graphics add to or enhance the content?