Chapter Five

Chapter Five

                Chapter five focused on evaluating sources. In the first portion, the chapter took a look at the different factors that should be used to evaluate a source. Relevance was the first factor. This asks whether or not the source is useful for the project, and also whether it is beneficial in regard to the reader’s needs, interests, values and beliefs. The evidence used in the source is also a significant factor in whether the source is good. This comes down to whether there is enough evidence, is it the right kind of evidence, is the evidence used fairly, and also is there even a source provided. The next factor is the author. The author knowledgeable on the topic, what their affiliation is, and how their biases affect the information, ideas and arguments are all important to evaluating the credibility of the author and their writings. Publishers must also be evaluated. Knowing how to locate information on publishers and then knowing how their biases affect the information, ideas and arguments give a good understanding on the credibility of the source and how to present it. When a source was created and the genre of the source are also important. Different types of sources deserve extra attention in areas. With digital sources, their relevance and credibility need to be focused on. This is because almost anyone can put information on the internet, unlike books. The relevance and accuracy of field sources are another issue. The relevance of the information gained, and whether or not it was gained properly and honestly, are both important factors in regard to the integrity of the source.