Evaluating sources

Credibility 
Information of volume
Whether it helps to answer your RQ
Publication date

Relevance, use of evidence, author, and publisher credibility, timeliness, comprehensiveness and genre

Identify the type of source you are reading
1. Type of source
Print, web publication, and field research source

2. Identify the main points 
3. Identify the reasons 
4. Consider the use of evidence

• Ethos ---   appeal to authority
• Pathos --- appeal to emotion 
• Logos --- appeal to logic 
• Appeals to principles, values, and beliefs -- religious/ ethical arguments based on this kind of appeal 
• Appeals to character -- "trust me" strategy 
• Reasoning based on the empirical evidence  -- data, numerical form -- statistics, observation, survey 

5. Author

  Bias: bias, prejudice of certain topic or issues 

6. Publisher 

  Biases of a publisher - major newspaper or magazine 

7. Timeliness

  Source's publication date

Field research source
interpret results fairly 

Websites and Digital sources