EVALUATING SOURCES

CRITERIA IN EVALUATING SOURCES

• RELEVANCE
• CURRENCY
• CONTENTS
• AUTHORITY
• LOCATION OF SOURCES
RELEVANCE OF THE SOURCE to
THE RESEARCH TOPIC

How well does the source support your topic?

• Title
• Table of Contents
• Summary/Abstract
• Introduction
• Headings of the Text
WHICH OF THE SOURCES WOULD YOU PICK IF YOU ARE DOING
RESEARCH ON THE LAW OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND?

• An Introduction to Theories on Economics

• How to Invest and Get Rich

• 105 Habits of Highly Effective Businessmen

AUTHOR’S QUALIFICATION
(AUTHORITY)

• Is the author’s name identified?

• Is the author’s background, education, or training
related to the topic?
• Is he or she a professor in a reputable university?
• What are his/her publications?
• Is the contact information of the author applicable?
EXISTENCE OF THE UNIVERSE

a. Big Bang Theory: b. Theory of Everything

The Beginning of
Everything Author’s Name: David
Author’s Name: Levithan
Peterson Huckman,
expert in Quantum
Theory
ONLINE
Articles Web Sites
• Is the author identified? • Is the author identified?
• Is there biographical • Is there biographical information about the
information about the author? author?

• What are the author’s credentials? • What are the author’s credentials?

• In what type of periodical does the • Where is the document published? (Check
article appear? URL)

• Is it a scholarly journal, a trade • Is the site sponsored by an institution?

journal, a popular magazine?
PRINT

Books
• What are the author’s research
methods?
• Does the author cite other
research (footnotes and
bibliography)?
• Have other scholars cited this
work?
Articles
• What are the author’s research
methods?
• Does the author cite other research
(footnotes and bibliography)?
• Have other scholars cited this
work?
ELECTROMAGNETISM

a. Electricity and Magnetism, 2006

b. Basics of Electromagnetism, 2012

c. Foundations of Studies in
Electromagnetism, 2015

d. Fundamentals of Physics, 2013

DATE OF PUBLICATION (CURRENCY)

• What is the date of publication?

• The date of publication should be at most five years
earlier.

Is the information current and does

it matter?
Accuracy of Information (Contents)

• Does the author have a lot of citations in his/her text and/or a bibliography or works cited section?
• What is the tone and style of writing?
• The tone or the attitude of the author towards his subject must be
formal.
• Is the information inaccurate?
• Is the information obviously biased or prejudiced?
• The author must have no personal agenda in writing the information.
 Books
• Who is the intended audience?
• Was the book written to inform?
Persuade? Teach? Entertain?
• Is there a preface or introduction to
identify objectives?
Articles
• Who is the intended audience?
• What are the biases of the periodical
in which it is published?
• What are the author’s affiliations?
 Web Sites
• Who is the intended audience?
• What are the goals and objectives of the
author?
• Is the purpose of the site to inform,
explain, advertise or persuade?
• Is the information biased?
LOCATION OF SOURCES

• Where is the source published?

• Does it provide complete publication information such
as author(-s)/editor(-s), title, date of publication, and
publisher?
LOCATION OF SOURCES

• If it is retrieved from the internet, what is the URL of the website?

• Reputable sites are those with .edu, ,gov, .net, and .org in URL.
• Blogs (personal homepage and wiki sites are not reliable sources)
WHICH OF THESE ONLINE SOURCES WOULD
YOU CONSIDER USING FOR A RESEARCH?

www.heyheynewsinquirer.com
www.tokyouniversity.edu
www.science.wordpress.com
www.upd.edu.ph
Identify the sources that are acceptable for an essay
on English language tourism in the Philippines.
• Breaking the language barrier in tourism (19 July 2015). The Philippine Star. Retrieved
from
http://www.philstar.com/travel-and-tourism/2015/07/19/1478384/breaking-language
-barrier-tourism
• Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language. NY: Cambridge University Press.
• Tomlinson, B. (2011). Materials development in language teaching. UK: Cambridge
University Press.
• Tiersma, P. (n.d.) What is forensic linguistics. Retrieved from http
://www.languageandlaw.org/FORENSIC.HTM
• Nunan, D. (2003). The impact of English as a global language of educational policies in
the Asia-Pacific Region. TESOL Quarterly, 37(4)589-613.
• Hutchinson, T. &Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A leaning-centered
approach. UK: Cambridge University Press.
REFERENCE:

Barrot, J. & Sipacio, P. (2016). English for academic

and professional purposes. Quezon City: C&E
Publishing, Inc.