PURPOSE
& AUDIENCE
• Who is the book's intended audience? How might this influence
its content?
• Is the book a primary or secondary source? |
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Checking purpose and audience:
-- Determine the approach used (fiction, nonfiction, opinion,
or a mixture).
-- Read introductory material.
-- Note the tone and terminology used in the work.
-- Examine the types of information, evidence, and examples used.
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AUTHORITY
• Does the author have adequate qualifications/expertise?
• Is the work cited in other writings?
• Are the author's qualifications given?
• Who is the sponsoring agency?
• What are the organization's credentials and reputation?
• Who is the copyright holder? Might this be important? |
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Checking the writer's authority:
-- Use biographical dictionaries and critical essays to investigate
the author.
-- Search appropriate databases for works that cite the book.
-- Read reviews of the book (and other works by the author).
-- Find out if the author has written other books or articles on the topic.
-- Look on the dust jacket or in the preface (double-check the
information).
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ACCURACY & RELIABILITY
• Is a bibliography or reference list available so information
can be verified?
• Does the book offer trustworthy information?
• Does the book indicate editorial quality (free of errors)?
• Is the information protected by copyright? |
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Checking accuracy and reliability:
-- Examine the text for evidence of careful research.
-- Check if data, statistics, and facts are documented (and timely).
-- Double-check information in the book with other sources.
-- Read reviews in reputable sources.
-- Examine the quality of items listed in the bibliography,
if one is present.
-- Check the publisher type: academic, commercial, independent, vanity, etc.
-- Use Books in Print for information about the publisher.
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OBJECTIVITY
• Is the information biased or objective? Is that appropriate?
• Is the text mostly fact or opinion? Is that appropriate?
• Does the text acknowledge the above? |
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Checking objectivity:
-- Examine the writer's claims. Are they logical and reasonable?
-- Examine the evidence presented. Is it adequate and credible?
-- Read reviews and critical essays about the book.
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CURRENCY
• Is the information current? Should it be?
• Are current research findings and/or theories evident? Should they be? |
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Checking
work's currency:
-- Check dates on references, if any are given.
-- Compare the information with that presented in other sources.
-- Check the publishing history (copyright dates, publishing dates, etc.).
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COVERAGE
• Does the book adequately cover its topic?
• Are important aspects of the topic omitted?
• Are omissions acknowledged?
• Does the book significantly contribute to the field/discipline?
Should it? |
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Checking coverage:
-- Examine the table of contents, chapter headings, and index.
-- Analyze the breadth of content. Does it meet expectations? |
