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ANT 215 - Nature of Language: Online Resources

A guide to finding and citing scholarly sources for students studying language & culture.

ABC's of Evaluation

 

While many information sources exist on the Internet, students should evaluate websites carefully before using them for academic work.

Remember that scholarly sources should meet at least two (2) of the three (3) criteria below:

  • Peer-Reviewed: This means at least one expert in the field has evaluated this article prior to publication. Peer-reviewed sources will always state on their website that they are peer-reviewed or "refereed."
  • Credentialed: The author should have credentials which suggest they are an expert on the topic, often a Master's degree or PhD in a relevant field.
  • Cited: The resource should cite its own sources.

     

When using a website as a resource for research, consider the following elements to determine if the website is trustworthy:

Author

Is there an author identified? Are the authors experts and qualified to write on the topic?  Are they affiliated with any organizations or a university?

Bias

Does the information presented cover all sides of the topic in a neutral, objective manner?  What is the purpose of this information… to inform, teach, persuade, or sell?

Currency

Does the website identify a date when the information was published or researched? Has the information become outdated?

Content

Does the information seem accurate? Is it a superficial overview or a detailed analysis?  Is the information relevant to your topic or does it deviate too much?  Is the readership level too simple or too sophisticated?
Design What kinds of images are used? Are there spelling or grammar errors? Are there ads or pop-ups on the page? Are the links working?

Adapted from Nova Southeastern University website http://nova.campusguides.com/evaluate/abcd. Table created by Lisa Hodgkins. 

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