Evaluating Sources in Academic Reading-English for Academic and Professional Purposes

This lesson will help students learn how to evaluate and assess sources for their academic writing.

1. Evaluating Sources Lesson 3 Prepared by: Mr. Aljon R. Bigcas

2. Lesson Objectives: Identify the FEATURES of VALID SOURCES Determine the purpose for evaluating sources Identify sources that are acceptable and not acceptable in academic writing Locate sources effectively 2

3. Why is there a need to evaluate sources?

4. Evaluating information sources is a important part of the research process. Not all information is reliable or true , nor will all information be suitable for your paper or project. Print and Internet sources vary widely in their authority , accuracy , objectivity , currency , and coverage . Users must be able to critically evaluate the appropriateness of all types of information sources prior to relying on the information. The need to evaluate sources 4

5. C - CURRENCY R - RELEVANCE A - AUTHORITY A - ACCURACY P - PURPOSE L - LOCATION Criteria in Evaluating Sources 5

6. KEY IDEAS : The TIMELINESS of the INFORMATION . In most fields, the data from older publications may no longer be valid. Date of publication should be at most five years earlier. 1. CURRENCY (Date of the publication) 6

7. Which material will you use for a research on Electromagnetism? A. Notes on Recent Researches in Electricity and Magnetism. 1853 B. Basic of Electromagnetism, 2020 C. The Foundation of Studies in Electromagnetism, 2009 D. Fundamentals of Physics, 2013 Checking for Currency 7

8. KEY IDEAS: Check if the parts of the text have a sense of its content. Source should address the topic. Information should fit the topic discussed. 2. RELEVANCE How well does the source support your topic? 8

9. Which source would you pick if you are doing a research on Law of Supply and Demand? A. An Introduction to Theories on Economics B How to Invest and Get Rich C. 105 Habits of Highly Effective Businessmen Checking for RELEVANCE. 9

10. Is the author’s background, education, or training related to the topic? Is he/she a professor in a reputable university ? What are his/her publications ? Is the contact information of the author available? 3. AUTHORITY ( Is the Author’s name identified?) 10

11. KEY IDEAS: Most important component in evaluating sources. Authors should be qualified to write about the topic/ information. Publications from professors are usually peer-reviewed and have undergone a strenuous publication process and are therefore reliable. Legitimate academic texts must include citations as a requirement for publication. Citations demonstrate that the writer has thoroughly researched the topic and is not plagiarizing the material. 3. AUTHORITY ( Is the Author’s name identified?) 11

12. Which source would you use for a research regarding the Holocaust? A. Dark Shadows of the Past: A comparative Study on the Holocaust and the Death March, authored by Mao Guevarra, Ph.D. in History B. Analyzing Nazism and Extremist Supremacy: A Study on the Holocaust and the Death March, authored by Adolf Mussolini , MD Checking for Authority 12

13. Does the author have many citations in his/her text and/or a bibliography or works cited section? What is the tone and style of writing? Is the information inaccurate? Is the information obviously biased or prejudiced? 4 ACCURACY 13

14. KEY IDEAS: Tone or attitude of the author must be FORMAL. Information should be verified with multiple sources Information should NOT be BIASED . Consider other point-of-views 4 ACCURACY 14

15. Which of these sources would you use for a research on Marxism? A. The Dark Side of Marxism, Hen Sy B. Karl Marx and the Fundamentals of Marxism, Fred Angle C. Effects of Marxism in an Industrialized World, Rick Carlos Checking Accuracy 15

16. KEY IDEAS: Identify the purpose of the source/ information. Identify the type of information stated in the source. Source/ Information should be comprehensive. 5. Purpose ( Why does the source exist? Why does the information exist?) 16

17. KEY IDEAS: Avoid using blogs, personal homepage and wiki sites. Use reputable sites. Domains should include: . edu (education), .gov (government), .net (network infrastructures) and .org (organizations) Research Database: EBSCOhost, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, or JSTOR, ERIC 6. Location ( Where is the source published? Is it published digitally or in print?) 17

18. Which of these online sources would you consider using for a research? A. www.heyheyheynewsinquirer.com B www.tokyouniversity.edu C. www.science.wordpress.com D. www.upd.edu.ph Check for Location 18

19. Criteria in Evaluating Websites 19

20. 20

21. Further Reading 21 CRAAP Test https://libguides.cmich.edu/web_research/craap Research Basics: Type of Information https://library.tctc.edu/researchprocess/typesinfo

22. Thanks for Listening! Any questions? Prepared by: Mr. Aljon R. Bigcas [email protected] Source: Barrot , J. S., & Sipacio , P. J. F. (2020). English for Academic & Professional Purposes. C & E Publishing Inc. 22