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History 188C: The 1960s

Evaluating Sources with ACCORD

Sometimes your research topic is so new or so specific, it is hard to find scholarly sources for it.  For example, if you're researching a film or song that came out last year, there hasn't been enough time to publish a fully peer-reviewed paper on that topic.

In that instance, you may find yourself relying on other kinds of sources: blogs, non-scholarly magazine articles, and so on. When you use these materials, you want to ask yourself: How credible is this source?

Even if the resource hasn't been peer-reviewed, you can look for clues to tell you if the information is reliable. The categories in the ACCORD method help you determine if a source is reliable for your project.


ACCORD infographic; full text offered in the next section

Alt-Text for ACCORD Method Inforgraphic

Evaluate with ACCORD

 

Agenda

Why was it created?

  • to inform?
  • to express an opinion?
  • to sell something?

Credentials

Who created it?

  • a subject expert?
  • a professional writer?
  • an enthusiast?

Citations

Can you follow the research?

Look for citations, bibliographies, and functional hyperlinks.

Oversight

Who published it?

Academic presses, professional organizations, and reputable news outlets employ peer reviewers and fact-checkers.

Relevance

Is it suitable?

  • how does it relate to your project?
  • is it written for an appropriate age group?

Date

When was it created?

  • can you easily find the creation date?
  • is there likely to be more recent research?

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