Evaluation During Reading
Evaluation During Reading :
After you have asked yourself some questions about the source and
determined that it's worth your time to find and read the source, you can
evaluate the material in the source as you read through it.
- Read the preface--what does the author want to accomplish? Browse
through the table of contents and the index.This will give you an overview
of the source. Is your topic covered in enough depth to be helpful? If you
don't find your topic discussed, try searching for some synonyms in the
- Check for a list of references or other citations that look as if they
will lead you to related material that would be good sources.
- Determine the intended audience. Are you the intended audience?
Consider the tone, style, level of information, and assumptions the author
makes about the reader. Are they appropriate for your needs?
- Try to determine if the content of the source is fact, opinion, or
If you think the source is offering facts, are the sources for those facts
- Do you think there's enough evidence offered? Is the coverage
(As you learn more and more about your topic, you will notice that this
gets easier as you become more of an expert.)
- Is the language objective or emotional?
- Are there broad generalizations that overstate or oversimplify the
- Does the author use a good mix of primary and secondary sources for
- If the source is opinion, does the author offer sound reasons for
adopting that stance? (Consider again those questions about the author. Is
this person reputable?)
- Check for accuracy.
- How timely is the source? Is the source 20 years out of date? Some
information becomes dated when new research is available, but other older
sources of information can be quite sound 50 or 100 years later.
- Do some cross-checking. Can you find some of the same information
- How credible is the author? If the document is anonymous, what do you
know about the organization?
- Are there vague or sweeping generalizations that aren't backed up with
- Are arguments very one-sided with no acknowledgement of other
Other Pages in This Section :
- Evaluating Sources : Overview : Evaluating sources of information is an important step in any research activity.
- Evaluating Bibliographic Citations : Consider the author, the title of the work, the summary, where it is, and the timliness of the entry.
- Evaluating Print vs. Internet Sources : Understanding the difference between what you can find on the web and what you can find in more traditional print sources is key.
English Writing Resources Index
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