Is the Source Worth Your Attention?
Reading Sources with a Critical Eye
100

the first thing you look at in an article?

What is the title?

100

express the authors attitude

What is the tone of the article? 

200

Are they experts on your topic? Ex: Journalists? Staff Writers? 

Who is the author(s)?

200

evidence that is likely to be believed

What is credible evidence?

300

Knowing this can tell you if it has been peer-reviewed. Ex: is it an academic press? a news organization? 

Who is the publisher or sponsor?

300

main idea, "thesis statement" of the source 

What is an argument? 

400

What form of communication is the source? 

What's the genre?

400

web address of the source

What is a URL?

500

certain material in your work that came from another source

What is a citation? 

500

facts, examples, sources used to support a claim

what is the evidence?