How to Evaluate Sources
Use The DAPPR Test to evaluate books, articles, and internet sources!
DAPPR
How to Find Information on Authors
When looking for information on authors, Consider the following:
What is his/her education level?
What is his/her career?
Has he/she published other works?
Has he/she won any awards (especially for writing about or in relation to the topic)?
What is his/her point of view?
Where to find the information online
There are two databases available through the library, Gale Biography in Context and Gale Literature Resource Center that contain information about authors.
Not all authors will be found in Gale Biography in Context or Gale Literature Resource Center. In these cases you may need to go to the Internet to find information about the author. To find an author using Google, type the author’s name in quotes in the search box. Look for results from book publisher websites or college or university websites. These tend to have the best information about the author. You may sometimes find authors have created their own personal websites with information about their credentials.
Another possible electronic resource is Amazon. Search the book in Amazon and look at the “Publisher’s Description” section of the entry for the book. This will often include brief information about the author.
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Biography In Context This link opens in a new windowReference, journal, and magazine articles regarding significant people, past and present
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Gale Literature This link opens in a new windowGood starting point to access all Gale literary content. Overviews, reviews, literary criticism, author biographies
How to Find Information on Periodicals (Journals)
When looking for information on journals, consider the following:
Is the periodical peer-reviewed?
Who is the publisher of the periodical?
Where to find the information online
Go to the database in which you found the article (EBSCO Academic Search Complete or Gale Academic One File) and perform a search for the publication using the “Publication Search” or “Publications” tab at the top of the page. On the next page, search for the periodical by title. Click on the title of the periodical and the next page should display whether the periodical is peer-reviewed (or scholarly), the intended audience, and a brief description of what it’s about. You can then use this information to determine the reputation of the periodical.
You may also use Media Bias Fact Check to check the bias and quality rating.