LibGuides: BUS 3050: Business Communication: Evaluating Resources

Evaluating Information

Authority refers to the expertise of the person or organization who created the information source. Consider the following questions when you determine if the author is qualified to write about a topic:

Can you find information about the author(s) on the website? If not, conduct a web search to learn about them.
Is the author(s) affiliated with an educational institution, organization, or a local, state, or international government?
Have they conducted research in this area?

Bias refers to how an author may be prejudiced to favor or oppose something. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if the information source is neutral or opinionated:

Does the resource cite its sources?
Does the resource advertise products or services?
Does the resource try to educate readers, sell them a product, or provide balanced information?

Analyze the content of the information source to help you evaluate if it will help you with your assignment. Think about the following questions:

Does the information source meet all of your professor's requirements; for example, is the source a peer-reviewed article?
To what extent is the resource connected to your research question?
Will this resource help you make a recommendation at the end of your report?

When you are evaluating an information source, use the following questions to help you determine if the information presented is current:

Does the resource have a publication date? Keep in mind, the publication date may be different from the copyright date.
Does your instructor require you to use a source that was written within a specific time frame such as the past five years?
Does the age of the resource affect the strength of your argument or recommendations?