Information Interrogation (Wayne College)

Focus your attention on the source of the information.  Determine the format and how scholarly the source is.

Ask yourself: Where does the information come from? What is the source?

• Look carefully at the source:
  • Can you categorize the source? (Qualitative / quantitative, popular / scholarly, format)
• How does the source's format contribute to your faith in the reliability and accuracy of the information included?

General Considerations:

• Would the source be considered popular, professional, or scholarly? (see guide below)
• What is the format for the source?
• Are the sources for data, statistics, and facts documented so you can verify them in another source? (It’s a good idea to do this).
• Where did the author get his / her information?
• Are quotations attributed to named people? Be sure to track down the authority of those people as well.

Considerations based on Format:

Books

• What evidence of research is provided? Look for references or a bibliography / works cited, endnotes or footnotes.
• Have book reviews indicated that the book offers accurate, reliable information?

Periodical articles

• Does the article come from a scholarly or peer-reviewed journal?
• What evidence of research is provided? Look for references or a bibliography / works cited, endnotes or footnotes.
• Is there evidence of bias or propaganda? (See the Purpose guide for more details)

Websites

• What other sites have links back to this site? Using Google, type in “link:” immediately followed by the website address.
• Is the website well-organized and easy to navigate?
• What are the author(s) research methods?

When trying to determine if an article would be considered "scholarly," look at the following characteristics:

• Length: The article is usually several pages long, and can, at times, be as long as 20 to 30 pages.
• Author: There is always an author or group of authors listed. The author(s) usually have credentials or affiliations listed.
• Audience: The intended audience is other experts, researchers, and students in the field.
• Refereed: Articles may be “refereed,” or reviewed by peers prior to being accepted for publication.
• Illustrations: The article may include maps, tables, and graphs that support the text. Colorful photographs are rarely used.
• References: The article always includes citations to research discussed in the article in the form of footnotes, endnotes, or bibliographies.
• Language: Look for vocabulary that would be used in the author’s field or discipline.
• Format: The article follows a standardized format (APA, MLA, etc.).
• Title: Keep in mind that not all scholarly journals have “Journal” in the title (although many do). Also, not every source that has “Journal” in the title is actually scholarly. (Example: Ladies Home Journal)