What
What type of a resource is it? Is it a book, journal article, podcast, movie, blogpost, newspaper, etc.?
- Is the source scholarly or popular?
- What methods were used in creating this resource? Was new research conducted or past research collected?
- How might the type of resource it is influence how you should think about the message conveyed and how you can use the resource in your own work?
When
When was this resource written or published?
- How might when it was written or published impact what is included or not included?
- How might this alter what you can take away from this source?
Who
Who wrote and/or published this resource?
- What are their qualifications?
- What experience do they have to make them a trustworthy source of information?
- Whose voice(s) might be missing?
Why
Why was the author motivated to create this resource?
- How might its purpose impact it’s message? Is it trying to sell something, generate clicks, or persuade you?
- Does the information included seem accurate, believable, and trustworthy?
- Is that information presented in an objective way?
Where
Where did the information in the resource come from?
- Are the sources of information cited?
- Can you track back information or facts to an original source?
How
How might you use this resource appropriately in your own work?
- How might your existing viewpoint impact how you interpret this work?
- How might the answers to the above questions shape the best way to responsibly use this resource?
- Remember! Sources are not either good or bad. Instead, they fall on a continuum that changes according to context.