Is this source appropriate for your research?

You and your instructor are the best people to determine if a source is appropriate for your research. Remember that all of the sources you use should contain well-supported arguments and valid research.

Look closely at the content since it is easy to falsify information on the Web.

• Check how statistics and facts were collected and to whom they are attributed. All should be referenced with a source.
• Notice if quotations or statements of fact are referenced in a footnote or bibliography. All should be referenced with a source.
• If there is a bibliography, scan through it to see what types of sources are included. Consider whether this is an opinion piece or essay.
• Judge whether the source is popular or scholarly. Make sure you are using the appropriate type of source for your assignment.
• Consider all the information you have collected about this site and determine the motivation of the author, sponsor and bias of the content.
• Consider all the infomation you gathered about this site's author, sponsor and date to determine if this site is appropriate for your information needs.