Other Resources
- Levels of EvidenceEvidence-Based Medicine Resources
- Ulrichsweb.com This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
A directory of published periodicals (magazines, journals, newsletters, etc), tracking title history, publication status, format and more.
Note about "Peer-Reviewed"
*There are plenty of credible sources that are not peer-reviewed (i.e. books, newspapers, government studies, trade journals, etc). Peer-review can be a great indicator of a valid scholarly source, but it is not the only one. Use your own critical thinking and evaluative skills to determine if a source is accurate and relevant to your research. You can also talk with your librarian or your professor if you are still unsure.*
Sometimes it can be hard to evaluate a source for credibility and applicability to your needs. There are lots of frameworks out there with questions to ask yourself when reviewing your source to better evaluate it. These are some of our favorites!
The 5 W's
Who
Who wrote this?
What
What kind of document is this?
When
When was this document written?
Where
Where does the information come from?
Why
Why was this written?
How
How was this information gathered and presented?
Framework and questions from Radom, R. (2017, January 04). Evaluating Information Sources Using the 5 Ws. OER Commons. Retrieved from https://www.oercommons.org/authoring/19364-evaluating-information-sources-using-the-5-ws.
Evaluating Sources for Credibility
This video from NCSU Libraries is a good starting point to how to evaluate sources you find in your research. Below are some other frameworks that help you think through this process. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me!