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Education

Use this guide to learn more about the resources and services available at Hunter College Libraries for Education and related subjects

Evaluating Academic Sources

When we're evaluating information, we're looking to see if the information is accurate, viable, and relevant to our research questions and interests. Below are some questions to think about when you're searching for information that can help you do that:

  • What is this about? Does it tell me something new, challenge a perspective, provide background information, or is it not relevant to my general research question?
  • Who does the text think we are? Who is the intended audience? Does that have an effect on the way the information is being presented to me?
  • Does the author have authority? Why or why not?
  • What is the intention? Is this information supposed to prove a point, share an opinion, provide information on a topic?
  • Where does this source come from? Is the publisher familiar or trustworthy?
  • What else do I want to investigate here? Are there questions that still need to be answered?
  • Would I use this in my paper? Why or why not?

When we're evaluating scholarly information, we can also consider:

  • If you find an article from a journal, what is the journal's focus? Is the journal peer-reviewed?
  • Is there an abstract and/or description? What does that tel me about this source?
  • Can I see any sources that the authors cited?
  • Does the author (or authors) write regularly on this topic?

What is Peer Review?

An article that has been reviewed by experts in the field in which it is about before being accepted for publication. To learn more about what it means when something has been "peer reviewed," check out the video from NCSU libraries posted below:

There are two types of bias that are important to keep in mind during the research and writing process:

Confirmation Bias:

This is when you deliberately shape evidence to support your argument/agenda, and ignore information that supports the contrary.

For example: You are writing a paper that argues that vegetarians are better athletes because they avoid red meat. There is information that supports your argument, but there is also a lot of information that supports the opposing argument. Without acknowledging that this other information exists, your work has a confirmation bias.

Implicit Bias:

Implicit bias occurs when someone consciously rejects stereotypes and supports anti-discrimination efforts but also holds negative associations in his/her mind unconsciously. In other words, the work may say one thing, but express another by reinforcing stereotypes and prejudices that otherwise would suggest a prejudicial bias on the behalf of the author. It's important to be able to discern the intentions of the author of any piece of information that you absorb.