Unit 2 Test Source Requirements
Remember for this assignment you are required to find the following:
- 1 sociological source assigned as Required Materials for this Unit (2), since Wk 6
- 1 new sociological source
- 2 new semi-scholarly sources
- 2 new data sources.
Ad Fontes Bias Chart
Interactive Media Bias Chart from ad fontes media
This can be useful if you're struggling to determine if a publisher is suitable for your research.
It is important to note the two axes: not only do we need to pay attention to the political bias of a source, but also how reliable the publication is. Something extremely more opinionated than factual can be just as misleading as a political bias.
Evaluating Information
After you've generate some keywords you can start searching for resources. There are some things to keep in mind about any results you get back from searches. We need to ask several questions of any resource before we are ready to use it to back up a point.
Who wrote it? Where did they get that information? What are they trying to get do with it? Are they trying to sway you to a certain belief? Who are they targeting? Here are some infographics to help you approach these questions and more.
Reminders for Evaluating Sources
A way to remember what to look for: CRAAP
The CRAAP test is just one method for determining what kind of quality a resource is. It's useful for all resources, but especially so for anything you find outside of academic sources.
Currency
- When was the information published or posted?
- Has the information been revised or updated?
- Does your topic require current information or will older sources work as well?
- Are the links functional?
Relevancy
- Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
- Who is the intended audience?
- Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or too advanced for your needs)?
- Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
- Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?
Authority
- Who is the author, publisher, source, and/or sponsor?
- What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
- Is the author qualified to write on this topic?
- Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
- Are the links functional?
Accuracy
- Where does the information come from?
- Is the information supported by evidence?
- Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
- Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
- Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
- Are there spelling, grammar, or typographical errors?
Purpose
- What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain, or persuade?
- Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
- Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda?
- Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
- Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
This is adapted from "Applying the CRAAP Test" by the Meriam Library at California State University, Chico.
Differences between scholarly and popular sources
You will need to find scholarly articles to serve as a solid base for any arguments you make in your paper. Databases have all kinds of articles in them, not just peer reviewed sources. Use the criteria below to help you figure out if a particular article is scholarly or not.
Note that a peer reviewed journal is only one piece of confirming an article has been peer-reviewed. Even scholarly journals have opinion pieces, book reviews, product reviews, etc.
Author
Scholarly: Can always tell who wrote it; the author is an expert in the field with available credentials.
Popular: Name or credentials may not be provided; has little to no expertise on the subject.
Audience
Scholarly: Written in jargon for other professionals in the field to understand.
Popular: Written in non-technical language anyone can understand.
Editor
Scholarly: Reviewed by a board of experts (peer review).
Popular: Reviewed not by experts in the field but by a staff editor.
Citations
Scholarly: Sources are referenced with in-text citations and a bibliography.
Popular: References to outside sources are rare and do not include a bilbiography.
Length
Scholarly: Longer articles with in-depth analysis, generally at least five pages long.
Popular: Shorter articles with a broader topic focus.
Format
Scholarly: Clear sections like an abstract, literature review, methodology, results, conclusion, and bibliography. May include illustrations that directly support the text like a table or graph.
Popular: Does not follow any particular structure. Images may be glossy color photographs or include advertisements.