FYS 120AB: Using Your Voice: Conversation and Connection on Campus
LibKey Nomad
Research & Instruction Librarian for Social Sciences & Data Literacy
"Evaluating Resources" from UC-Berkeley
When you encounter any kind of source, consider:
- Authority - Who is the author? What is their point of view?
- Purpose - Why was the source created? Who is the intended audience?
- Publication & format - Where was it published? In what medium?
- Relevance - How is it relevant to your research? What is its scope?
- Date of publication - When was it written? Has it been updated?
- Documentation - Did they cite their sources? Who did they cite?
From Evaluating Resources at University of California, Berkeley.
Evaluating News Sources
The 5 C’s of Critical Consuming
#1: Context – Look at the context of the article. When was it written? Where does it come from? Have the events changed since then? Is there any new information that could change your perspective?
#2: Credibility – Check the credibility of the source. Does the site have a reputation for journalistic integrity? Does the author cite credible sources? Or is it satirical? Is it on a list of fake news sites? Is it actually an advertisement posing as a real news story?
#3: Construction. Analyze the construction of the article. What is the bias? Are there any loaded words? Any propaganda techniques? Any omissions that you should look out for? Can you distinguish between the facts and opinions? Or is it simply all speculation?
#4: Corroboration: Corroborate the information with other credible news sources. Make sure it’s not the only source making the claim. If it is, there’s a good chance it’s actually not true.
#5: Compare: Compare it to other news sources to get different perspectives. Find other credible sources from other areas of the ideological or political spectrum to provide nuance and get a bigger picture of what’s actually happening.
From: Fake news is a real problem & here’s how students can solve it.
- AllSides Media Bias"The AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ and AllSides Media Bias Chart™ help make news bias transparent, allowing you to identify different perspectives and political leanings so you can get the full picture and think for yourself."
Evaluating Sources
What kind of periodical (magazine, newspaper, journal) is this?
- Ulrichsweb.com This link opens in a new windowBibliographic and publisher information on periodicals including scholarly journals, trade magazines, popular magazines, and newspapers.