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Evaluate information

Learning outcomes

Evaluating publications is important to ensure the information is suitable for your purposes and from reliable sources.

Below are questions to ask to identify poor quality or inappropriate resources (e.g. journals, books, websites, blogs, videos). With practice, you will become familiar with authoritative authors and resources, and the styles of communication used in your discipline.

Evaluation criteria

Is it peer reviewed?

Peer reviewed or refereed journal articles are the mainstay of academic research. Check Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory to see if a journal has been peer reviewed/refereed.

Look for the Referee’s shirt symbol.

Watch this video to learn how to check if a journal is peer-reviewed.

Website shown in video © EBSCO Industries

Activity

Fundamentals of searching