Evaluating+Books

=Authority & Credibility:= =Purpose, Objectivity, Point of View, Bias:= =Accuracy & Reliability:= =Coverage:= =Currency & Timeliness:= =Appropriateness / Suitability:=
 * Look for author(s) credentials on cover, flaps, or back of the book, or in the introduction
 * Is the author a well known authority on the topic covered?
 * Locate reviews of the book
 * Locate reviews of other books written by the author (if there are any)
 * 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
 * Is the publisher an organization, publishing house, vanity press, university press, or is it self-published?
 * 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 book? (Biography, autobiography, present opinions, persuade the reader, offer historical overview of a topic, present research findings, offer additional sources)
 * Who is the audience for the book? (age, level of education, specific profession, political affiliation, religion, special interests?)
 * Look at the cover, illustrations, and any special features
 * Is there evidence of bias or propaganda? (Remember that bias is evidence of __unreasoned__ judgment.)
 * Do the facts in other sources support the facts presented in the book?
 * 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?
 * Have book reviews indicated that the book offers accurate, reliable information?
 * What are the author(s) research methods?
 * Does the book offer comprehensive or selective coverage of the topic? Is the coverage historical or current, or both?
 * Does the book offer local, regional, national, or international coverage of the topic?
 * Use the table of contents or the book’s index to find relevant passages that reflect your research question.
 * Check the publication date. Have events occurred since the publication that require additional research?
 * Is the book a classic title or core work in the field? If so, the publication date may not matter.
 * If the book is older, does it offer historical context that would still be useful to your research?
 * 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?)