The introduction of this paper will involve introducing the source: Provide the author, the title, and the context (where you found the source, where it was originally published, who sponsored it, etc.)
You will then go on to evaluate the source on two levels:
Credibility: Using the information in this unit as a guide, evaluate the source’s authenticity and reliability.
Look at all the information that you can find about the source to establish the author’s (or sponsor’s) trustworthiness.
Usefulness: Using a combination of summary and analysis, examine the source on a critical level.
Determine what the source’s purpose (thesis) is, and how it arrives at that goal. Examine its value to you and the project you are working on. How will it help you prove your own points? How might it come in handy to back up a claim (or address a counter-claim)?
These are the questions that must be answered at the end of the essay. Examples are included.
Reflection Questions:
1. What types of questions did you ask yourself when evaluating the credibility and usefulness of your source?
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2. How do you feel this evaluation practice will help you as you continue to move through the research process?
