 How to critically appraise the sources of your information
You have to prepare for an exam. You’ve made some notes and thought about where to look for the information. You’ve started to search on the internet or gone to the library. But do you know how to analyze the sources of your information? If you select materials from an unreliable or questionable source, all your hard work might be for nothing.
The Author
When you choose a book to use as an information source, one of the first things to consider is the author. Review the author’s background and qualifications and check to see whether this book (or journal article) is written on a topic which the author knows something about or is an expert on.
Try to establish whether the author is known. For instance, has your teacher or lecturer mentioned this author? Or maybe you have seen the author’s name in reading lists or cited in bibliographies.
Then you should check to see if the author is associated with a well-known institution or organization. Try to find out some information about the organization or institution.
Publication Date
One method of checking whether the information you are using is up-to-date or current is to look at the publication date of the book. Keep in mind, some areas of study outdate very quickly, especially areas in which there are rapid developments (such as in some fields of science or IT) or areas which rely on statistics and figures (such as Economics). For sure, for some areas of study, especially in the Humanities, it is possible to utilize materials written years ago without risking using materials which are out of date.
Besides looking at the publication date, you should also look at the edition of the book you are using. Often new editions contain revisions, corrections and updated information so it is better to get hold of the latest edition available.
Publisher
For sure, not every useful book will be published by a well-known publisher, but the publisher can be an indication of reliability when it comes to selecting a source. Usually, books published by a university press are more likely to be scholarly. Reputable or well-known publishers are more likely to be a secure bet in terms of quality.
| 
