Information Content and Context
When evaluating a source of information, consider both the content of the source itself and the context in which the source was created.
CONTENT
- What does it say? What is its main point or argument? Relevance to your topic? What new information, facts, or opinions does it include?
- Where did you find it? Where was it published?
- When was it written? Within the past few days, weeks, or years? Is it historical? Has its information changed over time?
- Who created this information? What are their credentials?
- Why does this source exist? Is its purpose to inform, persuade, or entertain?
- How does it incorporate data or evidence? What kinds of evidence?
CONTEXT
- What is the audience for this source? General readers, people who work in a specific field, academics? Does it assume previous knowledge?
- Where can you find other information about this topic?
- When was this information last updated? Has it been revised, redacted, or challenged?
- Who is missing from the conversation? Does it include opposing viewpoints, marginalized voices, or global perspectives?
- Why do you need this information? Is it for an academic assignment, work project, personal decision-making, or to share with others?*
- How did the information find you? Was it through a relevance-ranked search, social media algorithm, advertising cookie, or press release?
*Sources that may be appropriate for sharing with others, deepening personal understanding, or decision-making may not be appropriate for an academic assignment or work presentation. When in doubt, check with your librarian or professor for more guidance!
Adapted from Beyond the Source created by the DePaul University Libraries.
Distinguishing and Evaluating Sources
Consider the ACT UP criteria as you review search results and select sources for your research. These work for all formats (websites, articles, books, videos, and more).
Magazines, journals, scholarly, popular, peer-reviewed...?? If you've ever run across any or a combination of these terms and needed clarification on their distinct meanings, this page aims to provide it.
Scholarly Journals
Trade Journals
Popular Magazines
Newspapers
Examples
Social Psychology Quarterly
Advertising Age
Newsweek
Chicago Tribune
Content
Primary account of original research; In-depth analyses of issues in the field; Articles often include abstract, method, discussion, tables, conclusion, and references
Current news, trends, or products in an industry or professional organization; Statistics, forecasts, employment and career information
Current events and news; General information with purpose to entertain or inform; Analyses of popular culture; Secondary account of someone else's research that may include opinion
Current events and news that may be local, regional, national or international; Ads, editorials, speeches; Primary source for information on events
Language
Academic, technical jargon that uses the language of the discipline; Requires some relevant expertise
Specialized jargon or terminology of the field; Written for practitioners/professionals
Easily understandable, non-technical language; Written for the layperson
Written for a general audience; Understandable language
Authors
Researchers, scholars, professors, etc.
Practitioners in the field, industry professionals, or journalists with subject expertise
Journalists or staff writers
Journalists or staff writers
References
References, footnotes or bibliographies are always included
References in text or short bibliographies are occasionally included
References are rarely included
Rarely cite sources in full
Editors
Journal's editorial board, or if peer-reviewed, external scholars in the same field
Work for the publisher
Work for the publisher
Work for the publisher
Publishers
Universities, scholarly presses, or academic organizations
Commercial publishers or trade and professional organizations
Commercial publishers
Commercial publishers
Example Databases
Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, Sociological Abstracts, Historical Abstracts
ABI Inform, Business Source Premier, ERIC, SPORTDiscus
Readers Guide Abstracts, Academic OneFile, Academic Search Premier
LexisNexis Academic, Access World News, Library Press Display
Peer-reviewed journal articles vs. scholarly journal articles
Not all scholarly journal articles are peer-reviewed. However, all peer-reviewed articles (aka refereed articles) are scholarly.
What is peer-review?
Peer-review refers to the rigorous process that articles undergo before they may be published. Other scholars in the author's field or discipline review and evaluate the article for quality and validity. If lacking, the article may be rejected, but otherwise, the article is accepted, often with suggestions for revision.
Here are a few considerations when evaluating books for your project.
Authors: Look for background information about the author, such as educational experience, previously published research, or whether an author has been cited in other research. You can often find biographical details and affiliations for the author in the book itself.
Bibliographies: Look for a bibliography in your book or look for your book in a bibliography. Scholarly, well-researched books will include bibliographies or lists of consulted source materials used. You might also come across a bibliography through which you find a book you might consult for your project.
Publishers: Who published the book? If your publisher does not fall under a category below, it may still be scholarly. However, you may want to look closely at other criteria in this guide to make further determinations.
- University Presses: These publishers are affiliated with a university and considered to be highly reputable, e.g. Northwestern University Press, Oxford University Press.
- Commercial Publishers: There are many commercial publishers that publish scholarly books, but not all do. Examples of scholarly, reputable commercial presses
- Professional or Trade Associations, Research Centers, or Institutions: Organizations that publish materials written by experts in a field or subject, e.g. American Philosophical Society, American Management Association, International Food Policy Research Institute.
- Government (International, US, State or Local): Government publications are considered to be unbiased and authoritative, e.g. World Health Organization, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Illinois State Board of Education, City of Evanston.