Quality

Whether using a book, a scholarly article, or a Web site, it is important to use the following criteria to critically evaluate the information you locate:

Currency | Authority | Purpose | Point of view

Depending on whether you require historical or current information, ask yourself these questions:

What is the publication date of a book or journal?
What is the creation and revision date of a Web site?
What is the time span covered by the document (is it current or historical)?

Example

1. If you are researching information on the "ban the bomb" movement against nuclear armament that originated in the 1950s and 1960s, the currency of the material you find is not a crucial factor.

2. However, if your topic deals with the effects of globalization on national cultures and identities, you will probably need to find articles topic requires that you locate current material.