Evaluating a source by relevancy means that you are asking: Does it answer your question or contribute to your research?
When considering the relevancy of a source, there are several things to ask yourself:
- Is the scope of the source is appropriate for your research? Does the source provide a general overview of your topic or is it focused specifically on a single aspect of your topic?
- Who is the intended audience for the source? Is the information too basic or too technical? Does it assume you have prior knowledge about the topic?
- How many sources have you found? Have you searched thoroughly enough to find the most relevant sources available?
- Does the source meet the parameters of your assignment? Would you be comfortable citing this source in your research project?
Where should you look to determine the relevancy of a source?
Print & Database Sources
- Read the abstract, summary, or table of contents
- Scan the full text of the source
- Examine subject terms and keywords associated with the source
- Look at sources beyond the first page of search results
Websites
- Read the abstract, summary, or table of contents (if available)
- Scan the full text of the source
- Examine subject terms and keywords associated with the source (if available)
- Look at sources beyond the first page of search results
What to avoid
- Sources that provide minimal usable content for your research
- Sources that provide content which is too broad or too narrow for your research
Relevancy Questions
| Examples |
Questions To Ask |
| What is "global climate change"? |
- Who is the intended audience for this web site?
- Does it include information that is too technical or too basic?
|
| Foreign Affairs |
- Does this website assume you have prior knowledge about the topic?
- Does it address a topic broadly or is it very specific?
|
| How Stuff Works |
- Does this website offer a general overview of a topic or does it answer a specific question?
- Would you feel comfortable citing this source in your research project?
|
