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Leslie J. Savage Library

Graduate & Online Students: Evaluating Resources

Explore resources and services available to our graduate and online students!

Graduate & Online Students

Evaluating Information Sources

Evaluate with the SAVAGE Library Evaluation Method

SUBSTANCE

  • When was the information published or posted?  
  • Has the information been revised or updated?  
  • Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well?  
  • Are there spelling, grammar or typographical errors? 
  • Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion? 

Developed by Renée Barney, former Information Literacy Librarian at Western Colorado University. Derived from the CRAAP method from CSU, Chico and the Quail method from Larry Sheret, Marshall University.

AUTHORITY

  • Who is the author/publisher/source/sponsor?  
  • What are the author's credentials or organizational affiliations?  
  • Is the author qualified to write on the topic?  
  • Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?

Developed by Renée Barney, former Information Literacy Librarian at Western Colorado University. Derived from the CRAAP method from CSU, Chico and the Quail method from Larry Sheret, Marshall University.

VERIFY

  • Where does the information come from?  
  • Is the information supported by evidence?  
  • Has the information been reviewed or refereed? 
  • Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?  
  • Does the author use citations?

 

Developed by Renée Barney, former Information Literacy Librarian at Western Colorado University. Derived from the CRAAP method from CSU, Chico and the Quail method from Larry Sheret, Marshall University.

AIM

  • What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade?  
  • Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?  
  • Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?  
  • Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?  
  • Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases?

 

Developed by Renée Barney, former Information Literacy Librarian at Western Colorado University. Derived from the CRAAP method from CSU, Chico and the Quail method from Larry Sheret, Marshall University.

GERMANENESS

  • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?  
  • Who is the intended audience? (Was it written for the general public, elementary level students, other researchers in the field, etc?)
  • Is the information at an appropriate comprehension level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)? 
  • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?  
  • Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research paper? 

Developed by Renée Barney, former Information Literacy Librarian at Western Colorado University. Derived from the CRAAP method from CSU, Chico and the Quail method from Larry Sheret, Marshall University.

ELECTRONIC (Additional website considerations)

  • Is important information two clicks away?
  • Is there a charge to use the site and will my personal information be protected?
  • Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
  • Does the site adhere to copyright law and fair use guidelines?
  • Does the webpage link to reputable sites?
  • Do reputable sites link to the webpage?
  • Do the links work?

Developed by Renée Barney, former Information Literacy Librarian at Western Colorado University. Derived from the CRAAP method from CSU, Chico and the Quail method from Larry Sheret, Marshall University.

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources

Primary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • First-hand accounts of events.
  • Original ideas.
  • Empirical observations or research.
  • Diaries
  • Interviews
  • Letters
  • Original works of art
  • Photographs
  • Speeches
  • Works of literature

 

Secondary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • Analyze and interpret historical events or creative works.
  • Provides commentary on a primary source.
  • Offers an interpretation of information found in primary sources.
  • Biographies
  • Dissertations
  • Journal articles
  • Monographs
  • Indexes, abstracts, bibliographies (used to locate a secondary source)

 

Tertiary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • Presents summaries or condensed versions of primary and secondary sources.
  • Rarely contains any original material.
  • Dictionaries
  • Encyclopedias
  • Handbooks

Samples
Subject Primary Secondary Tertiary
Art Monet's "Port-Goulphar, Belle-Île" painting Critical review of the painting Encyclopedia article about Monet
Literature Jane Eyre novel Article about portrayal of disability in Brontë's novels Companion to the Victorian Novel
Music O mie porpore più belle, RV 685 Article studying the tonal disjunction between arias and recitatives Reference article from Grove Music Online about Italian cantatas

This page is modified from Virginia Tech's Library Website, Retrieved December 20, 2016. Link updated May 29, 2018.

Primary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • First-hand accounts of events.
  • Original ideas.
  • Empirical observations or research.
  • Interviews
  • Raw data
  • Newspaper reports about events
  • Notes (i.e. from a psychologist)

 

Secondary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • Analyze and interpret conditions or events.
  • Provides commentary on a primary source.
  • Offers an interpretation of information found in primary sources.
  • Dissertations
  • Journal articles
  • Monographs
  • News commentaries
  • Magazine articles

 

Tertiary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • Presents summaries or condensed versions of primary and secondary sources.
  • Rarely contains any original material.
  • Dictionaries
  • Encyclopedias
  • Handbooks

Samples
Subject Primary Secondary Tertiary
Anthropology Interview with member of the Hopi tribe Book about Hopi land disputes Encyclopedia of Native American tribes
Psychology Clinical case notes Article about treatments for social anxiety disorder Handbook of Psychology
History Civil War diary Article about the Battle of Antietam Chronological Encyclopedia of the Civil War
Political Science Geneva Conventions Article about prisoners of war List of treaties
       

This page is modified from Virginia Tech's Library Website, Retrieved December 20, 2016. Link updated May 29, 2018.

Primary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • Scientists present results of research.
  • Original documents.
  • First-hand accounts.
  • Conference proceedings
  • Interviews
  • Journals
  • Lab notebooks
  • Patents
  • Preprints
  • Technical reports
  • Theses and dissertations

 

Secondary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • Analyze and interpret scientific research.
  • Compare various ideas & theories.
  • Summary of existing state of knowledge.
  • Monographs
  • Reviews
  • Textbooks
  • Treatises

 

Tertiary Sources
Description: Examples:
  • Presents summaries or condensed versions of primary and secondary sources.
  • Rarely contains any original material.
  • Dictionaries
  • Encyclopedias
  • Handbooks
  • Tables
  • Compilations

Samples
Subject Primary Secondary Tertiary
Environmental Science Case study on sustainable energy Book on sustainable practices in communities Encyclopedia article about alternative energy
Chemistry Chemical patent Book on chemical reactions Dictionary of chemistry
Geology Research study on geology and sediment properties Book on geology along the Gold Rush trail Encyclopedia of geology
Biology Research study about chemotherapy and lymph node dissection Book on the biology of plants Handbook of the biology of aging
Mathematics Euclid's Elements Book about Euclid's life & work Handbook of Mathematics

This page is modified from Virginia Tech's Library Website, Retrieved December 20, 2016. Link updated May 29, 2018.

Information Timeline

  Description

Sources

Television, Web, Radio

Characteristics

Basic facts. Information is shared during the event or immediately following the event. Details may be sparse, biased, and/or unsubstantiated. Updates and corrections to information are made in subsequent posts (often hours later or the next day).

Type of Information

General

Author

Journalists (not specialists in the field of study); General public

Audience

General public

Locating Tools

Web search engines, social networks

Examples

Twitter, Facebook, various blogs, KBUT Community Radio, local news programs on ABC, NBC, CBS, etc.

 

  Description

Sources

Newspapers, television, radio, web

Characteristics

General facts. Details may still be sparse, biased, and/or unsubstantiated. May include more geographical and background information. Also tends to include a few more details about the identities of key people and historical relevance. More accurate than previous reports because details have begun to be verified.

Type of Information

Varies. Some articles include analysis, statistics, photographs, editorials, and opinions.

Author

Journalists (not specialists in the field of study)

Audience

General public

Locating Tools

Web search engines, newspapers, periodical databases

Examples

New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, http://abcnews.go.com/, NPR, etc.

 

  Description

Sources

Popular and mass market magazines

Characteristics

General facts. Details may still be sparse, biased, and/or unsubstantiated. May include more geographical and background information. Also tends to include more details about the identities of key people and historical relevance. More accurate than previous reports because details have begun to be verified.

Type of Information

Journalists (not specialists in the field of study)

Author

Journalists (not specialists in the field of study)

Audience

General public to the knowledgeable layperson

Locating Tools

Web search engines, print magazines, periodical databases

Examples

Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, The Nation, National Review, etc.

 

  Description

Sources

Trade magazines and scholarly journals

Characteristics

Articles written and reviewed by experts in a field. Often presents new research in the area.

Type of Information

Research results, detailed and theoretical discussion. Bibliography included.

Author

Specialists and scholars in the field

Audience

Scholars, specialists, students

Locating Tools

General and subject-specific databases

Examples

Music Educators Journal, Journal of Environmental Engineering, Journal of Chemical Education, etc.

 

  Description

Sources

Scholarly journals, books, conference proceedings. Reference sources such as encyclopedias.

Characteristics

Includes deep research, hindsight, secondary analysis, and very specific details of the events, people, and places.

Type of Information

In-depth coverage of a topic, edited compilations of scholarly articles relating to a topic. Bibliography included.

Author

Specialists and scholars in the field

Audience

General public, scholars, specialists, students

Locating Tools

Library catalog, general and subject-specific databases, reference sources

Examples

Encyclopedia Britannica, published conference proceedings, various books, Journal of Terrorism Research, Engineering Journal, etc.

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