Vassar Libraries' guide to evaluating sources
ACT UP method: Author, Currency, Truth, Unbias, Privilege
Labaree, Robert V. Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Detecting Bias. USC Libraries.
Introduction to Lateral Reading (aka, going to the source, or as close as possible.)
Journal & Article Evaluation Checklist (great for your own writing too)
Quick Tips
Evaluation Criteria
Relevancy |
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Author Expertise & Discipline
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Source Type |
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Currency & Publication Date |
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Evidence, Objectivity & Bias |
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A number of metrics analyze citation counts, i.e. the number of times a source has been cited by other researchers.
For more information see, Research Impact Metrics: University of Michigan Library.
Below is a modified, abbreviated framework for tracking research outputs to locate indicators that demonstrate evidence of research impact.
Advancement of Knowledge What was created by the research study? How has the research output and activities been used? |
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Community Benefit How has community health been enhanced as a result of this research? |
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Clinical Implementation Has the research been adopted in clinical activities or applications? |
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Economic Benefit What economic benefits were produced from result of research outputs and/or activities? |
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Bernard Becker Medical Library, Washington University School of Medicine.
The BEAM model provides a framework for identifying how you might use a source in your own research. However, BEAM can also be used during the research process, for distilling a body of work, or identifying gaps (i.e. does one of the BEAM components need to be better addressed?)