When evaluating either online or print resources for a research assignment or paper, ask the following questions from the evaluation criteria checklist below:
Evaluation Criteria Checklist - The 5 W's
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Who?
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- Who is the author? Is an author listed?
- What are the author's credentials?
- Does the author's education or experience qualify them as an authority on the topic they are writing about?
- What institution or organization is the author affiliated with?
- Is contact information listed for the author?
- Who is the intended audience? Is the source written for professionals or the general public?
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What?
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- What is the purpose of the information - to educate, entertain, inform, persuade, sell?
- What type of resource is it? (e.g., advertisement, blog, journal, magazine or newspaper article)
- What information in this resource should I use in my assignment and how should I use it?
- Is the information objective or does it contain any biases?
- Are there any advertisements or sponsors?
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| Where? |
- Where does the information come from? (e.g., database, organization, sponsor, .edu, .gov, .org, .com)
- Where can I look to find out more about the publisher or sponsor?
- Where can I use this resource in my assignment?
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When?
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- When was the resource published or last updated? Is a publication date listed?
- Is the information timely or is it outdated?
- Does my topic require current information? (e.g., science or technology topic)
- Will older resources be acceptable or preferred? (e.g., history topic or primary source)
- Do the links on the webpage or website still work?
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| Why? |
- Why should I use this resource for my assignment?
- Why is this resource relevant to my thesis or topic?
- Why is this resource better to use in my assignment than other resources?
- Does the source add new information to the topic I am researching or does it simply repeat or summarize other perspectives?
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