Introduction to Psychology: Evaluating Sources

Monday - Thursday | 7:30 am - 8 pm

Friday | 7:30 am - 5 pm

Saturday | 9 am - 3 pm

Sunday | Closed

Closed during College-observed holidays

Effective August 30-December 20, 2021

Remember to think about the following when choosing a topic!

Who

• Who/what organization is responsible for this information?
• What are the author's credentials or qualifications? What makes him/her an authority on this subject?
• What is the organization's mission? Do they tell you?
• If you can't find the answers to these questions, you may want to avoid using the source.

What

• What makes this source of information credible?
• What is the review or editorial process that the information has gone through to ensure accuracy? None? Peer-reviewed? Editorial board?

Why

• Why was this information source created? To Inform or educate? To Persuade? To Sell? To Entertain? To call people to action?
• Is there a potential for bias? Are differing viewpoints presented? In a balanced way?

Where

• Where did the information come from?
• Does the author tell you the source of his/her information? Are sources cited so that you can follow-up and verify them?
• If the source is a brief report on a research finding or event, can you find an original or more complete source of information on which it is based?

When

• When was the information created/published?
• If dates are given, can you tell what they mean? Published? Revised? First posted?
• Can you determine if the information is current or outdated? Is it important that the information is recent?

How

• How do you plan to use this information? 
• Do you need an authoritative source? Do you need an objective source? Do you need a testimonial to support a particular argument?
• How in-depth is the information? Does it provide enough detailed information for a college level research paper?

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