Step 7: Evaluating Books & Articles

Bibliographic Citations

Definition & Use

• The written description of a book, journal article, essay, or other published material that appears in a database, library catalog or index
• Forms a citation or reference

Citation Components:

• Author
• Title
• Date of Publication
• Edition
• Publisher

Author

• Credentials
• Expertise
  Tip:Use the Who's Who publications to get an author's biographical background, affiliation and credentials
• Institutional or organizational affiliation
• Has your instructor mentioned the author?
• Have you seen the author's name cited in other sources or bibliographies? 

Date of Publication

• When was the resource published?
• Is the resource current or out of date for your topic?
• Science topics use more current publications
• Humanities topics use a blend of older and newer research

Edition or Revision

Is this a first or later edition?

• Later editions indicate a source is revised and updated to reflect changes in knowledge
• Multiple printings or editions suggest a work is a classic source

Publisher

• Sources published by a University Press are likely to be scholarly
• Is the organization also the publisher? This sometimes suggests content bias or slant.

Journal Title

Is the journal content academic or popluar?

• Academic, scholarly and peer reviewed all refer to the same type of content
• Scholarly and popular content differs in the level of complexity in conveying ideas
• Some research databases allow limiting results to only academic/scholarly or peer reviewed journal articles

Go to Step 3: Finding Articles to learn more about selecting and searching databases

Download our How Do I ... Distinguish Scholarly Journals Guide

After making an initial appraisal of the bibliographic citation, you should now examine the source's content:

Books

• Read the preface for intent
• Scan the table of content and index for overview
• Note bibliographies
• Read chapters that address your topic

Journals

• Scan table of content for overview
• Note bibliography or references after articles

Intended Audience

• Who is the author addressing?
• Is the content aimed at a general or specialized audience?
• Is the content too elementary, technical or advanced?

Objective Reasoning

Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?

• Facts can be verified
• Facts are usually supported by evidence and other references
• Objective point of view
• Emotion-arousing language and bias avoided
• Opinions, although based on facts, are an interpretation of facts
• Reasonable assumptions
• Skilled writers can make their interpretation seem like fact

Primary and Secondary Sources

• Primary sources are originating documents
• Secondary sources use primary sources to build and develop research

Primary source documents include:

• Personal writing like correspondence and journal or diary entries
• Opinion pieces or letters to the editor
• Autobiography (personal history written by the subject themselves)
• Articles and conference proceedings that present experiment results

Secondary source documents include:

• Books, journal or newspaper articles, encyclopedia entries that refer to primary source materials
• Biography (personal histories written by a third party about a person)
• Scholars use primary source material in building research

Primary/Secondary Source Example:

If you were researching Konrad Adenauer's role in rebuilding Germany after World War II

• Adenauer's own writing is primary source material
• Secondary sources are materials that use Adenauer's writings to generate historical interpretation

Coverage

How does the content fit other research on the topic?

• Updates, or builds upon, other research
• Substantiates other research
• Obtain a variety of view points on your topic

Writing Style

• Is the publication logically organized?
• Are main points clearly presented?
• Is the text easy to read, stilted or choppy?
• Is the author's argument repetitive?

Critical reviews of a book or journal article provide:

• Context
• Relevancy
• Authority

Locating Critical Reviews

Print Resources:

• Book Review Index
• Book Review Digest

Find more print resources in the Library Catalog

• Keyword search: reviews, book reviews 

Online Resources:

• Academic Search Premiere
• Book Index with Reviews
• JSTOR

Find more Online Resources

• Keyword search: reviews, book reviews 

Examining Critical Reviews

• Is the review positive or negative?
• Does the reviewer consider the material reviewed important to research?
• Does the reviewer indicate other resources as being more incisive, classic or relevant? If so, locate those other sources.
• Do different reviewers agree on the value or attributes of the reviewed source? Is there controversy among critics?