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Questions for Source Evaluation
What kind of voice is this?
- Academic, news media, community, association and organization reports, public sector reports, stakeholders and allies (consult the honeycomb)
Who was involved in creating the source?
- What gives the author(s) authority to produce information on the topic? What limitations do they have? Consider their credentials and experience.
- What group, institution, or publication is responsible for producing this source? Do an online search to find out more about this entity.
- What might be their purpose or motivation for creating/sharing this source?
Who is the intended audience?
- Consider the visual design of the source as well as the type of language it uses. Who do you think is the intended audience? What does this mean for how you plan to use the source?
When and how was the source created?
- Can you identify the vetting process, such as peer-review or approval by an editor, that the source went through before publication?
- When was the source published or last updated?
- Who funds or sponsors the site/publication source?
What is the evidence for their claims?
- How does the source acknowledge or cite the ideas of others? Whose perspectives are represented, and whose may be left out?
- Can you find any other sources that corroborate the information presented on the source?
- What do other sources say about the organization/author and their claims?