In general, for all formats:
For what purpose was the information written or provided?
Inform, explain, or teach?
Report research findings?
Persuade or present opinions?
Entertain?
Advertise or sell you something?
Deceive? (Humor, satire, fake news)
Who is the audience for the information provided?
Is it intended for a scholarly or popular audience?
Is it clearly produced with a specific demographic in mind?
Is the information biased or presented in a balanced way? (Remember that bias is evidence of unreasoned judgment.)
For books:
Look at the cover, illustrations, and any special features to determine audience.
Does a review of the book reveal any potential bias?
For periodical articles:
Locate the website for the publication.
Look the publication up in the Serials Directory.
Who is the audience for the periodical? (age, level of education, specific profession, political affiliation, religion, special interests?)
Are there any illustrations or advertisements? What do they reveal about the publication?
Is the article a feature or part of a regular column? (For example, does the article appear as part of the "Comment" or "Opinion" column?)
For websites:
Look at the domain: is it commercial, educational, or a non-profit organization?
Look at the graphics & illustrations (attractive to children?) and advertisements. What do they reveal about the publication?
If you can interpret HTML code: look at the source code for the site to look at author-supplied keywords (Ctrl+U)