Analyzing Research Results: Evaluating Search Results

Currency

• When was the information published or posted?
• Has the information been revised or updated?
• Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?

Relevance

• Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
• Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
• Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper?

Authority

• Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?
• What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?
• Is the author qualified to write on the topic?
• Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address? Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source? examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net

Accuracy

• Where does the information come from?
• Is the information supported by evidence?
• Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
• Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?
• Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
• Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors?

Purpose

• What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?
• Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
• Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?
• Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
• Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

Rationale

• Did the author or publisher make this information available to inform, teach, entertain, persuade, or sell something?
• Is there any bias in the information? To what degree is the information objective and impartial?
• Does the author omit any important facts or data that might disprove their claim?

• What are the author's credentials?. Does the author have credibility through education or experience to be writing on the topic?
• If there is no author listed, evaluate the authority of the company/business/organization that published the information.
• Consider the affiliation of the author or publisher.
• Do other books or articles on the same research topic cite the author?
• Is the publisher of the information source reputable? 

• When was the information published or last updated?
• Have newer articles been published on your topic?
• Are links or references to other sources up-to-date?
• Is the information obsolete?

• Consider if you need the most recent information on your topic.

• Was the information reviewed by editors or subject experts before it was published?  Was it fact-checked? 
• Do the citations and references support the author's claim? Are the references correctly cited?  
• What do other people have to say on the topic? Is there general agreement among subject experts?
• Is there a description of the research method used? Does the method seem appropriate and well-executed?
• Was item published by a peer-reviewed journal, academic press, or other reliable publisher?

• Does the information relate to your topic?
• Does the information answer your research question?
• Does the information meet the stated requirements for the assignment?
• Is the information too technical or too simplified for you to use?