Page 4 Evaluating Sources

Definition


A source is a person or witness, publication, record, or document that gives timely information.


Sources are...
  • family and friends who provide you with information
  • local newspapers or radios,
  • national television networks,
  • the Internet via email, social media, or businesses.


Types


When reporting on controversial issues, reporters use multiple sources to show more than one side of the issue. Most importantly, they investigate or check the accuracy of their sources.

Doing research is all about trust.

Do you trust your sources of information?

How reliable are they?




Primary sources are produced first-hand. Observations, diaries, speeches, letters, interviews, news films, sound clips, or artifacts offer inside views of events.

Secondary sources are produced after an event; sometimes a long time after the news happened. Textbooks and magazines analyze and interpret primary sources.

If you trust the person who has produced a secondary source, then it is a good source to use for research. However, if you think the secondary source is exaggerated or biased, then you should go to a primary source.

Texts, whether they are books, news articles, visual representations, or audio recordings, are produced by people who bring their own bias (experiences, beliefs, and prejudices) to their work. As a researcher, examine information for bias and evaluate whether or not the bias makes the information unreliable.


Choosing a Credible Source



The source should be...
  • knowledgeable
  • able to verify where the information came from
  • reliable or accurate



View

Often, Journalists research the web to check stories.

View a video on finding news sources on the internet.





  Please contact your teacher if you have questions.