You will be expected to use high-quality sources for your literature review--just like you would for any academic writing assignment. As we discussed in the first tab of this guide, the sources you use must meet the definition of scholarly literature. Next, you should evaluate all your sources for authority, objectivity, and currency. Finally, you will need to consider whether or not a source is relevant: does it specifically address your topic?
Watch the video below for more information about how to evaluate your sources.
Libncsu. (2015, June 9). Evaluating sources for credibility [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/PLTOVoHbH5c
It's important that you select high-quality sources for your literature review. In order to determine if a source is appropriate, you need to determine the author's expertise and their perspective on the topic.
Watch the videos below to learn how to assess an author's expertise and reliability. Then check out the questions on the next tab for questions you can ask yourself as you evaluate your sources.
Video: Assessing Expertise
UofL Research Assistance & Instruction. (2020, June 26). Assessing expertise [Video]. YouTube.
Video: Lateral Reading
UofL Research Assistance & Instruction. (2020, June 26). Lateral reading [Video]. YouTube.
Use the chart below for guiding questions you should ask to evaluate your sources. You should question the AUTHORITY, OBJECTIVITY, CURRENCY, and SUITABILITY of every source before you use it for a research paper! If you're having trouble answering any of these questions about a source, you might want to reconsider using it!
1. AUTHORITY
Questions to ask | Where to find this information |
Who is the author? |
Most common places to find the author
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What are the author's credentials?
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What is the author's reputation?
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Who published the work?
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Is the author affiliated with a particular organization?
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2. OBJECTIVITY:
Questions to ask |
Where to find this information |
Why was this written?
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Does the author acknowledge their biases?
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Are the sources used by the author of good quality?
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3. CURRENCY:
Questions to ask | Where to find this information |
When was the source published? |
Look for the copyright information, located on
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Does your topic require current information? Would presenting outdated information be inaccurate or harmful? |
Check with your professor to see if there is a publication date requirement for your sources. Topics that typically require current information include:
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Is this the most up to date version of the source? | If it's a book, you can check WorldCat to see if there is a new edition. You can also check Amazon. |
4. SUITABILITY
Questions to ask |
Where to find this information |
Will this source meet the requirements of your assignment?
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* Table inspired by Peterson, E. (2020, February 4). Evaluating sources. University of Oregon Libraries. https://researchguides.uoregon.edu/gateway/evaluate-sources; Excelsior Online Writing Lab. (2019). Evaluating sources. https://owl.excelsior.edu/research/evaluating-sources/; Cornell University Library. (2020, February 24). Evaluating webpages: Questions to consider. http://guides.library.cornell.edu/evaluating_Web_pages