The Prezi on this page sketches a strategy for evaluating the journal/magazine articles you find, as well as books. Use the tools below to put that strategy into effect:

Start your search the appropriate library databases for your topic. The "Find Articles" tab of this guide points you to some good databases. Click here for a review of creating your seach.

For each article you consider, search the journal/magazine title in Ulrichsweb.

• Note whether it is refereed. Go to the journal's web site to find more information about their peer-review process--it can vary widely from one journal to another.
• The Ulrichsweb Review will give information about audience, scope and purpose of the journal/magazine

Find out about the author.

• Put the author's name into a biographical database or the subject database. Note: searching the author field will show what else s/he has written; searching the subject field may yield biographical information.
• Has s/he  written other things in this field? Look in WorldCat to see any books s/he has written.  Is s/he affiliated with groups that might indicate a bias? Is there any controversy surrounding her/his scholarship?

Search the article in Google Scholar and note the number of times (if any) it has been cited by others. Note: it may take a year or two for a new article to appear as a citation in other scholarship.

For each book you consider, look for book reviews in scholarly sources. It is also worth seeing if the book has been reviewed in the New York Times or other national periodical. Lexis Nexis is a good place to check the last 20 years for these reviews.

Dante Running from the Three Beasts by William Blake

Evaluating Website Checklist:

• Who is responsible for the site?
• What are their qualifications?
• With whom are they affiliated?
• Is the site free of spelling and grammatical errors?
• Is documentation provided (a bibliography or reference list)?
• Can the information be verified using another source?
• Is the purpose to inform or persuade?
• Is a bias evident?
• Does the site's sponsor have a vested interest in your thinking a certain way?
• What percentage of the page's links point inward?outward?
• Does the page contain ads? What are they for?
• Is the page dated?
• What does the date mean - last updated or first published?
• Is there mention of how often the site is updated?
• Does the site's content warrant frequent updates?
• Are any of the links out-dated (dead)?
• more info...