Evaluation: Accuracy

1. Accuracy -- is the information reliable and error free?

• Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information? Is it peer-reviewed?
• Is there adequate documentation: bibliography, footnotes, credits, quotations?
• Are the conclusions justified by the information presented?
• Is the information verified in other sources?
• Do experts agree on the findings?

If you are unable to verify accuracy based on the first three bulleted items, look outside the source itself (do additional research). Ask youself the last two questions: Is the information verified in other sources? Do experts agree on the findings?

Examples:

~ Article selected by an editor/editorial board (for example, article in Newsweek) carries more weight than one which has not been through a selection/editing process (for example, an article the author simply puts on his/her web site).

~ Article in a refereed (peer-reviewed) journal is highly regarded because selected by scholars who are specialists on the topic.

~ Article with good bibliography carries more weight than article without bibliography.