REFERENCE SOURCES (Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Handbooks)
BOOKS
PERIODICALS (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers)
Scholarly resources need to be evaluated too!
Characteristics:
-published/edited by a university press (ie. Oxford Univ. Press) / or an academic publisher (ie. Grove, Elsevier, Gale, etc.)
-written for an academic audience
-different from trade, industry or popular resources (ie. Trade/Industry Reference: Billboard's Top 100; Popular Reference: Wikipedia)
-can be less current because it has a more stringent review/editorial process
-often involve fees or costs for subscription or licensing; not usually freely available to public
Determine if the Source fits your Purpose
"Day 231: Exciting Library Books!" by Anomalily. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilymonster/3753280427/
Who? author/creator/publisher; contact information and accountability
Why? documentation about the source; purpose of source
When? currency
What? accuracy, bibliographical apparatus (sources, glossary, further readings)
Where? geographic coverage; place of publication
Google, Google Scholar and Wikipedia can be good places to start your research or use as a springboard
HOWEVER
Libraries purchase and organize a range of material not available freely on the web
EVALUATE INFORMATION from Meriam Library, California State University (Under RESEARCH, click on EVALUATE INFORMATION to open a .pdf guide).
CRITICAL EVALUATION OF INFORMATION RESOURCES from E. J. Pratt Library, U of T