Exercise 6: How to Evaluate Sources

 (Please print this exercise and use the corresponding lesson to answer the questions.) 

Name: _______________________                   

Class: _______________________           Professor: _______________________ 

1. Please list and briefly describe the 4 criteria for evaluating sources. 

          a.________________________________________________________________ 

          __________________________________________________________________ 

          b.________________________________________________________________ 

          __________________________________________________________________ 

          c.________________________________________________________________         

          __________________________________________________________________ 

          d.________________________________________________________________ 

          __________________________________________________________________

2.  Please perform a search on the topic  Forensic Ballistics.  You will need to find a book using iPAC, a full-text article using GALILEO and an Internet website. 

a. Please list the title of the book found in iPAC. 

          __________________________________________________________________ 

          b. Please give the citation for the full-text article found in GALILEO. 

__________________________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________________________ 

c.  Please give the URL for the Internet website. 

          __________________________________________________________________

3.  Evaluate each of the 3 sources you found using the 4 criteria for evaluating sources.  For each one, briefly explain how well (or if) the criteria were met. 

Book

[Note: Since External Program patrons will not be able to physically examine the book, please visit http://users.aol.com/lctox/safintro.htm to find needed information.  This is a newer edition of the one that the library owns, but you can still use it for this exercise.]

          a. Authority______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

b. Purpose_______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          c. Content________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          d. Currency______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

Full-Text Article 

          a. Authority______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

b. Purpose_______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          c. Content________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          d. Currency______________________________________________________  

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

URL

[Be sure to use the special criteria for evaluating Internet Sources in this section.]

          a. Authority______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

b. Purpose_______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          c. Content________________________________________________________ 

          __________________________________________________________________ 

          __________________________________________________________________ 

          d. Currency______________________________________________________ 

          _________________________________________________________________ 

          __________________________________________________________________