Besides being able to locate scholarly sources of information, graduate students are expected to become information literate, which includes being able to evaluate information to determine if it is actually useful and valid for their research projects and if it is trustworthy and accurate. Generally, sources of information are evaluated on their purpose, timeliness, authority, reliability, and coverage. For example, it is understood that a source whose purpose is to sell something is more likely to either exaggerate or de-emphasize certain information to enhance its persuasive appeal. Sources that focus on a very narrow aspect of an issue may not be useful for supporting broader generalizations. Sources that refuse to acknowledge competing viewpoints can be quite biased.

Select one of the articles you are using for your essay and briefly evaluate it using the criteria listed above. Why do you find the article useful and valid for your essay? Now that you have looked at it more closely, do you find anything in it suspect or do you notice limitations? What are they?