OWHL Guides: History 300: A Guide to Research: Evaluating Sources

C.R.I.T.I.C.A.L Method

Information can come from anywhere, anyone, and for any purpose, which means that critical evaluation is an essential part of your research process. The CRITICAL guide helps determine if a source is appropriate and prompt you to think about how your search for, select, and engage you research materials.

C.R.I.T.I.C.A.L.

Credibility	Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda? Facts can be verified through comparison to several sources. Opinions evolve from the interpretation of facts. Are the author's conclusions or facts supported with references? Do the authors / sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Relevance	Is the information within the scope of your topic? Refer back to your research question or central goal. Does it offer new perspectives (e.g., historical, political, cultural, social, racial, gender, sexual) Does it offer different voices, conflicting viewpoints, or other ways of knowing? Please be aware that library collections encompass works that portray offensive perspectives, serving to document them as evidentiary sources and facilitate ongoing critical analysis of the past and present.
Intention	Why was the source written? Was the author's purpose to inform, persuade, or to refute a particular idea or point of view? Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?
Timelines	Is the date of publication appropriate for your topic? Is currency important or are historical perspectives needed? Does your work need a chronology of events over time? Is it important to include seminal works, regardless of date?
I-EDIAA	Does the source bring an equity lens to the topic? Are aspects of I-EDIAA addressed? (Indigeneity, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism, and Accessibility) Does the author present multiple viewpoints or is it biased? Does the author situate their own positionality? (i.e., their privilege through race, education, income, ability, gender, etc. as a means of framing their research interpretations)
Coverage	Does the source address your topic in depth, only partially, or is it an broad overview? Different levels can be useful. Is the source a useful as a single example or case? Does the source add new information or update other sources? Can the source be cited to substantiate or refute other resources that you have consulted?
Authority	Consider the author's background, writings, experience, and positionality. There are subject authorities beyond those writing in scholarly journals. For example, Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers are recognized for their expertise. Is the author associated with an organization, institution, cultural, or community group? Who is the publisher? Does it represent the views of specific groups? How is the writing acknowledged by others in the field or community? How do critical reviews rate the work? Are some types of references privileged over others? Does the information draw on collective expertise from a diverse group? Who benefits or is empowered from this perspective?
Level	What is the reading and analysis level of the source? Does it align with your knowledge of the subject? What level of evidence is provided in terms of citations or data? Is the resource intended for the general public, scholars, or professionals?

from Queen's University Library

ACT-UP Method

The ACT-UP: Evaluating Resources for Social Justice method of evaluating sources was developed by librarian Dawn Stahura, now at Salem State University.

ACT-UP asks you to consider important questions about your research:

Author: Who is the author and why did they present this information? Where did you find it? On a reputable website?

Currency: When was it published and does this fit the time period of your project?

Truth: Is the information correct? Does the author use sensationalizing words to evoke an emotional response? Are there typos?

Unbias: What point of view is the information showcasing? Is it trying to get you to think a certain way? Bias is present in all resources, so knowing what type of bias (even if it includes missing information), is important!

Privilege: Does the author of your information come from the dominant culture, or do they come from a marginalized group? Particularly if the author is writing about a community they do not belong to, make sure to include other sources that do represent that community.