Evaluating academic sources
One way to enhance the credibility of your academic writing is to evaluate
the evidence, information and arguments located in different printed or online
publications. The information you find should meet the criteria set in your
assignment task sheets, and can be used to support your thesis and your
arguments.
An academic source or a scholarly publication is any online or print resource
that has been researched, analysed, discussed, peer reviewed and
published by experts in a particular field of study.
When an academic source is peer-reviewed, it means that it is evaluated by
a board of academics in the same field. Modifications are suggested, and
need to be applied for it to be approved and published.
The purpose of these resources is for the authors to communicate and share
their research hypotheses, findings, and analyses with the broader academic
community. Your arguments and thesis will be weakened if the information
you use in your academic writing does not come from reliable and credible
academic sources.
There are different types of academic sources:
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Textbooks are printed texts on specialised topics. Most books are
prepared, organised and written either by one person, or a group of
writers.
Edited books contain writing by several different authors. Each
chapter is written by a different author, and the whole collection is
organised by one or more editors.
Journals are periodically published collections of articles on a
particular subject. The target audience of a journal is usually
academic, professional, or technical.
Conference proceedings are books that contain papers presented at
conferences or symposiums. Each paper is collected and organised
by the conference committee.
Academic papers are scholarly papers on a specific topic, which have
been researched, written, and peer reviewed.
Grey literature refers to publications that you are less likely to find in a
library – for example: institutional reports, brochures, press releases,
or organisational protocols. They are usually more difficult to access
than books or journal articles.
The quality of your final research project relates to the credibility of the
sources you decide to use. Applying the C.R.A.P. Test – that is, Currency,
Reliability, Authority and Purpose - is one effective way to evaluate the
credibility and value of a source before you start writing.
Currency
How recent is the information? Can you locate when it was published or
updated? Your arguments will be more valid when you support them by
using current theories and reliable research findings, for instance, from the
last five years. If you can’t find the publication date for an academic source,
then you might consider not using it.
When referencing or citing work, use the published date. This report was first
published in 1997, but it was later made available online in 2012. In this
case, we would use the details from the 1997 publication.
Carefully read through your task requirements for suggestions on how
current your resources need to be. If you are not sure, ask your lecturer or
tutor for further directions.
If no date is available, write “n dot d dot” in brackets, for both in-text citations
and in your reference list. The “n d” stands for “no date”.
Reliability
Is the content mostly on based on facts or opinions?
If the information you have gathered is largely based on opinions and
unsupported evidence, then your paper will be considered weak. However, if
the information is largely based on facts and supported evidence, then your
paper will be considered credible and strong.
Statements, arguments, and ideas included in your essays must be
supported by reliable research and theories. You need to check that the intext citations correspond to the references listed in your reference list.
Is the information objectively balanced or biased? Have the authors
acknowledged and evaluated opposing views? Have they efficiently explored
different components of the topic?
Authority
What are the authors’ credentials? What are their affiliations, experiences,
education and other publications?
You will increase the credibility of your argument if you discuss evidence
generated from experts who are widely acknowledged for their contribution to
their academic field.
Who is the publisher or sponsor of the work or website? Are they reputable?
When you identify information pertinent to your topic, make an effort to find
out who the publisher or the sponsor of the website is. If this is not possible,
then you need to decide whether or not to include it. Even if you are able to
find out who the publisher or the sponsor of the publication is, you still need
to evaluate their academic reputation.
Purpose
Is purpose of the source to persuade or inform you?
By critically reading your selected publications, you will be able to identify
their purpose and target audience. Evaluate their information, arguments and
premises, before deciding to quote them. The purpose of an online book or
paper may be deceptive – it may appear to be factual, but its purpose might
be to persuade you without providing a balanced point of view.
Look at the website’s URL to identify the website’s domain. Is it .edu, .com,
or .gov? The domain can provide useful information about a website’s
purpose – explicit or implicit – objectives, suitability and the credibility of the
provided information.
Websites with .edu, .gov and .org domains are recommended. Websites with
.com and .net are not recommended as academic sources.
Are there advertisements on the website or in the resource? This may impact
the content of the information included. Look carefully to see if there is a
relationship between the advertising and the content, or whether advertising
and sponsorship are simply providing financial support for the page.
Summary
In summary, your main objective in reviewing and selecting reputable
academic sources is to evaluate them based on Currency, Reliability,
Authority and Purpose. If your carefully chosen publications meet these
criteria, then the quality and substance of your academic writing will be
enhanced.