Western Libraries

Earth Sciences 4490E/4999E

Why Evaluate Information?

In your research, you may find many types of information sources including: journal articles, conference papers, books, and web pages. You need to evaluate how appropriate and reliable these sources are for your research. In addition, you should search and read broadly your a subject area to develop a comprehensive understanding of your research topic, and try to identify highly relevant and credible sources for your literature review.

Evaluation Criteria

RADAR is an acronym representing a framework for evaluating information sources. It is used to determine whether or not they are appropriate for research.

R is for Relevance

Does the source relate to your topic or answer your research question? Does it meet the requirements for the assignment? Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is the one you will use?

A is for Authority

Is the author known as an expert in their field? Does the author work for a reputable institution (e.g. a university, research center, or government)? Does anyone cite this author/work? Does the author rely on other well-cited works? Is there contact information (e.g. a publisher or email address)?

D is for Date

Has the information been revised or updated? Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well? If your source is older, is it a seminal or landmark work? Are the in this source links functional?

A is also for Appearance

Was the work published by a peer-reviewed journal, academic press, or other reliable publisher? Was the information reviewed by an editor or a subject expert before it was published? Do the references support the author's argument? Are the references properly cited? Can you verify any of the information in another source? Does the source look professional? Are there advertisements, typographical errors, or biased language?

R is also for Reason

Why was the information created? Sources created to educate by spreading scholarly information or to persuade the reader through argument are appropriate. Sources meant to entertain or sell something are not appropriate.

Reference:

Mandalios, J. (2013). RADAR: An approach for helping students evaluate Internet sources. Journal of Information Science, 39(4), 470-478.

Quality Check for Journal Articles