Pre-College Trailblazer Library Orientation

Key Questions:

• What is the intended purpose of the source?
   
• How might I use the source for my own purposes?
   
• What other types of sources will I need for my purposes?

Currency

• When was the source published?
• Do you need current information?

Some research topics will require more up-to-date information than do others. (For example, scientific topics tend to require more current sources than do many humanities-focused topics.)

Audience

• For whom is the source intended?
• What is the publication's purpose or scope?
• Is this a scholarly or popular source? A professional/trade journal?
• Is the language difficult to understand?
  (If so, you may wish to first gather more background information or sources written for a general audience.) 

Relevance

• Is the content appropriate for your purpose?
• What does the source add to an understanding of your topic or argument?
• How does the source relate to other information you have found?
• How does the source relate to your ideas or argument?
• Is there a list of references? It can point you to other relevant sources.

Authorship

• What are the authors' credentials or background in this area?
• Has this author written other articles, papers, reports or books on this same topic?

Bias

• Is the information primarily fact or opinion?
• Does the author appear to have a strong bias, whether explicit or implied?
• Does the author present multiple sides of issues?
• Is the information supported by other research?
• Has this author provided sufficient evidence?
• Does the author use highly charged or emotional language?
  (Almost all sources have some degree of bias. A well-reasoned argument, however, considers multiple viewpoints.)

Writing Style

• Are ideas logically and clearly presented?
• Is the writing clear and grammatically correct?