Evaluating+Periodicals

=Authority & Credibility:= =Purpose, Objectivity, Point of View, Bias:= =Accuracy & Reliability:= =Coverage:= =Currency & Timeliness:= =Appropriateness / Suitability:=
 * Is the author listed or is the article not signed or anonymous?
 * Is the author a well known authority on the topic covered? Has the article been cited by other authors (use a citation index)?
 * Are the author’s credentials listed?
 * Search the catalog and periodical databases to determine what else the author has written, or look up the author in the Gale Biography in Context database
 * Locate reviews of books written by the author (if there are any)
 * Look at the periodical itself: Is the publisher an organization, publishing house, vanity press, or university press?
 * University presses tend to publish books or journals with articles who are recognized experts in their fields
 * Look at the publisher’s website
 * What is the purpose of the article? (Editorial, book / entertainment / product review, literature review, interview, research report, case study)
 * Who is the audience for the periodical? (age, level of education, specific profession, political affiliation, religion, special interests?)
 * Look at the cover, illustrations, and advertisements
 * Is there evidence of bias or propaganda?
 * Do the facts in other sources support the facts presented in the article?
 * Is the writing clear and free of grammatical and typographical errors?
 * What evidence of research is provided? Look for references or a bibliography / works cited, endnotes or footnotes.
 * Are the sources for statistics and facts documented so you can verify them in another source? (It’s a good idea to do this)
 * Are quotations attributed to named people?
 * Is there evidence of bias or propaganda?
 * What are the author(s) research methods?
 * Did the article undergo peer review?
 * What is the focus of the article? Does it cover the topic adequately or do you need additional resources to fill in the gaps?
 * Does the article offer local, regional, national, or international coverage of the topic?
 * Check the publication date. Have events occurred since the publication that require additional research?
 * Is the article a classic or core work in the field? If so, the publication date may not matter.
 * Is the source suitable for the assignment’s criteria?
 * Is the source suitable for college-level research?
 * Is the source able to be understood? (In English? Technical jargon?)