Not all sources are created equal, so how do you evaluate them? Writers learn how to evaluate print sources based on elements such as audience, tone, and argument in the sixth handout of 24 in the Writing the Paper series from the Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. The handout includes key questions to ask when evaluating sources and also provides an explanation of primary versus secondary sources.

Concepts

research writing, evaluating sources, evaluating websites, research reports, secondary source analysis, secondary sources, primary source analysis, primary sources

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Choose a few sources, at least one obviously biased or unreliable, and review them based on the criteria provided
• Summarize the content of the article by creating bookmarks or half sheets of paper with guidelines to use when evaluating print sources

Classroom Considerations

• Handout consists of seven pages, so consider having learners access it digitally to save paper

Pros

• Includes headers, bold text, tables, and bullet points to make the text easier to skim and scan
• Provides an opportunity to immediately implement the content of the handout

Cons

• Resource is text heavy
  

Common Core

W.9-10.8 W.11-12.8