University Writing Program

Evaluating Sources

Brandeis Library Guides

• Evaluating Online Information

A guide to thinking critically about the information you find online. Includes tips for evaluating scholarly works, news, and websites and social media.

• Evaluating Journals: Impact and More

This guide provides tips and tools for evaluating journal impact.

Exercises, Handouts, and Presentations

1. Is This Book Relevant to My Research? (Presentation | Handout)
2. Is This Article Relevant to My Research? (Presentation | Handout)
3. How to Skim an Article
4. Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly Journal Articles (DOCX | PDF)
5. How to Read a Science Paper (DOCX | PDF)
6. Assessing Sources Exercise (DOCX | PDF)
7. Assessing a Literature Review Exercise (DOCX | PDF)

External Resources

• Harvard Guide to Evaluating Sources

Published by the Harvard College Writing Program, this guide's section on evaluating sources offers instruction on what questions to ask of sources, how to evaluate journal articles and web sources, the issues with using sources like Wikipedia, and how our disciplines affect our use of sources. Highly recommended for use in a UWS.

• Evaluating Primary Sources (external link)

A useful guide from the American Library Association on critically evaluating sources.