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Library Tutorial: Unit 3: Evaluating Sources

An introduction to many basic uses of the library website.

Definitions

Peer Review - A process by which articles are read and evaluated by experts in the relevant field. Every peer reviewed journal has its own group of experts who do this, and they only accept articles that are high quality, support their claims with evidence, and add something new to knowledge about a topic. This process is very rigorous, with only the best articles making the cut.

Evaluation - Deciding whether a source is valuable or worth including in your research. Evaluation is a complicated process, you need to consider many different factors in deciding whether to use a source.

Internet Domain - A suffix at the end of a web address that can tell you a little about what kind of website you are looking at. Some domains are tightly controlled, with only particular organizations allowed to use them. Others are open to anyone.

What You Will Learn

  • How to administer a test to determine whether a source is a load of CRAAP.

  • How peer review works.

  • What you can learn about a website from looking at it's domain.

The CRAAP Test

.org? .com? Help!

Subject Guide

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Daniel Liestman
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509.865.8520