Information to help you evaluate and cite sources of information...

As you start collecting print, media, and electronic sources that match your topic and assignment, you'll want to evaluate, or think critically about, the sources you encounter.

Even though a book, article, video, or web page matches your search criteria and appears to be relevant, does not mean that it is necessarily a reliable source of information. Using the following criteria should help you decide whether a source is of high enough quality to use for your research project.

The five traditional criteria for evaluating print and media materials are:

Accuracy
• • How reliable and free from error is the information?
  • Are there editors and fact checkers?
  • What is the domain code? If you're not sure what this means, you may want to learn more about Reading URLs.


• Authority
  • What are the author's qualifications for writing on this subject?
  • How reputable is the publisher?
  • Does the author's e-mail address appear on the page so you can contact him/her for further information?


• Coverage
  • What topics are included in the work?
  • Are the topics explored in depth?
  • Does the author list his/her sources?


• Currency
  • Is the content of the work up-to-date?
  • When was the page last updated? Is there a copyright date on the page?
  • Is the publication date clearly labeled?


• Objectivity
  • Is the information presented with a minimum of bias?
  • To what extent is the information trying to sway the opinion of the audience?

For more information, Take a look at these sites:

• Evaluating Information Found on the Internet
• Free & Fee Based Areas of the Internet
• Sets of Web Sites to Evaluate
• Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide!
• Links to Additional Sites with Web Evaluation Materials

And remember, when in doubt, you can always Ask a Librarian.

What is a citation?

Go straight to info about APA Style or MLA Style

Written and oral projects at the college level often require research. The sources used, including books, periodical articles, web sites, and interviews, must be documented in your paper. Documentation means acknowledging the source of your information through linking a citation at the end of the paper with a corresponding reference in the text.
Citations include author, title, publication information, and anything else necessary to help the reader locate the original source.

Read more about periodical citations here.

Why is it necessary to document (or cite) sources?

• Citations allow the reader to check sources for themselves.
• Citations show your knowledge of sources pertinent to your topic and give credibility and support to your arguments.
• Citations give credit to people from whom you've borrowed words and ideas. Failing to give credit is considered plagiarism.

What sources are not necessary to document?

• When the information is common or general knowledge. A general rule is that if a fact can be found in five or more sources, it is considered to be common knowledge and does not have to be documented.
  
• When the information yourself and is completely your own idea, no documentation is necessary.

How do I use information from another source?

Quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing are three ways to use information from another source.

• Quotations consist of text that is identical to the original and uses a narrow segment of the source. Quotations must match the source document word for word and must be attributed to the original author.
  
• Paraphrasing involves putting a passage from source material into your own words. A paraphrase must also be attributed to the original source. Paraphrased material is usually shorter than the original passage, taking a somewhat broader segment of the source and condensing it slightly.
  
• Summarizing involves putting the main ideas into your own words, including only the main points. Once again, it is necessary to attribute summarized ideas to the original source. Summaries are significantly shorter than the original and take a broad overview of the source material.

For more information on quotations, paraphrasing, and summarizing, see the OWL Writing Lab.

Citation (or Documentation) Styles

Citations and their corresponding references must be written in a specific style or format. The citation styles most commonly required by faculty at CCV and Vermont Tech are:

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style

Questions about citations? Call Hartness Library System’s toll-free number (800-431-0025) or Ask a Librarian.