Considerations:

• Authority

  • Who is behind the information?
    • Author
    • Publisher
  • What is their intention in publishing this information?
  • Are you including underrepresented perspectives? (Especially when the research focuses on them)

• Types of Sources

  • Purpose of the source
    • To inform
    • To entertain
    • To persuade
  • Where does the source fall on the cycle of information?
    • Hours after event: social media posts, breaking news bulletins
    • Days/weeks after event: newspapers
    • Months after event: magazines
    • Months-years after event: journal articles, books

• Date of Publication

  • Consider your topic
    • How current does your research need to be?
    • Have research practices in regard to your topic recently changed?