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Researching in the Humanities: Step 4: Evaluating Sources

Steps, tips and library tools to help you with your Humanities Research

Checklist for Evaluating your Sources

Once you have compiled your research sources, you will need to determine if they meet your needs. 

Use the criteria below to critically evaluate each source of information that you found. 

  • Authority:  Who produced this resource? What are their credentials?  Are they qualified to provide information about this topic?
  • Accuracy:  Based on your knowledge, does the information seem accurate? Can you determine where the author got his/her information?
  • Content:  Does the source cover your topic comprehensively or does it cover only one aspect?  To what extent does the source help answer your research question?
  • Objectivity/Bias:  Can you determine the objectivity of the source? Is there a slant, or bias? 

If you find that the resources do not meet the criteria, or that they do not provide you with all of the information you need, you should revise your search and try to find other information sources.