Evaluating Sources

Chapter 25

Gal Grodetzki
Karina Ramírez Carrillo
Introduction

 Research Question: Is it important to address the

loss of sea ice in the Arctic? If so, what actions
should be taken?
 Importance of relying on reliable sources for
research.
 Overview of evaluating sources for credibility.
Is the source credible and useful?

 Titlerelevance, seriousness, alignment with

content.
 Author credentials, affiliations, reputations.
 Publisher/sponsor agenda or bias.
 Publication date, update status, genre.
Lateral Reading Process

 Check authors' credentials and publishing

history.
 Verify expertise through external sources.
 Investigate publisher credibility.
 Search for corroborating sources.
Practice Lateral Reading

Fact-checkers' ability to discern credible

sources.
Avoiding vertical reading bias.
Fact-Check and Triangulate

Fact checkers that were able to discern reliable and unreliable

from unreliable sources:
 FactCheck.org
 PolitiFact
 FullFact
Checking facts can help you do what social scientists refer to as
"triangulation." If a claim or argument is acceptable then you
are sure to find two or three credible sources agreeing with it.
Check for your own biases

Remember that you have your own point of view and

your own biases. These biases can be silently at work
when your evaluating sources. You need to be careful
about these two most common biases:
 CONFIRMATION BIAS
 ATTRIBUTION BIAS
Consider Alternative Perspectives

 One way to avoid biases is

considering other
perspectives on the topic
you are researching,
especially those that not
simply confirm what you
believe.
Read Your Sources with a
Critical Eye
 Consider your own RHETORICAL SITUATION
 What is the author's STANCE
 What do you notice about the author's LANGUAGE
 Who's the audience for this work?
 What is main point
 What reasons and evidence does
Work Cited

Lunsford, A. A., et al. "Twenty-five: Evaluating Sources."

Everyone’s an author (4th ed.) W. W. Norton & Company,
2023, pp. 520-526.