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Student Research Guide

Evaluating Resources

One of the most important skills related to thesis research and writing is learning how to determine the authorities of a given topic or discipline as well as understanding the relevance of a particular resource to the wider scholarly conversation. In essence, you will need to critically evaluate the resources you intend to draw into your writing. 

To evaluate a book in terms of its critical scholarly appeal, consider reading book reviews which can be easily accessed through HoyaSearch.

Most researchers will apply a set of criteria to evaluate resources found on the Internet to determine their credibility.  They include:

  • Currency - the timeliness of the information.
  • Relevance - the relative value of the information for your research need.
  • Authority - the source's credentials or organizational affiliations.
  • Accuracy- the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the information or ideas being presented.
  • Purpose - the reason the information has been created. 

Contact your Subject librarian for assistance or to schedule a research consultation to learn more about evaluating resources.

Tools for Evaluating Sources

Author Metrics

Always remember to check on the verified profile of an author. Google Scholar and Web of Science list the names of authors, their affiliations and publications.

 

Journal Rankings

Use these tools to discover journals in your discipline that usually publish highly cited articles.

Open Access

To verify the reliability of an open access journal, check if it is listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).