In higher education, you are part of a scholarly community where all research builds on previous research. This means that your assignments and your studies also build on what others have written and done before you. You use sources, and the choice of sources affects your insight and understanding of the subject. On this page you will learn how to critically evaluate the sources you meet.

Video: External and internal source criticism (English subtitles available under setting)

Source criticism involves critically examining sources to determine if they are credible, reliable, and suitable for use. Some sources are easy and quick to assess for credibility, while others require a bit more scrutiny. When we talk about source criticism, it may be useful to distinguish between external source criticism and internal source criticism. That is, characteristics of the source that are easy to spot and characteristics that require you to read some of the text. Looking for these different characteristics can be a good strategy for critically examining sources.

External source criticism

Who
Who is responsible for the content?
In books and journal articles, the author's name, qualifications, and institutional affiliation are usually given. If not stated, or you are unsure, you should seek information to assess whether the author is qualified to comment on the field.
Websites and encyclopedias should also have an author, but on encyclopedias like Wikipedia, the authors are often hidden behind aliases, and we do not know if they are reliable. Therefore, such encyclopedias are often not accepted as a source. The best thing is to use the original sources in the reference list in such articles.
When
When was your source written or last updated?
Books and journal articles should have a date of publication, while reliable websites either have a date of when it was published or when it was last updated. Many fields are rapidly evolving, so it is important that the source is not outdated.
Publisher
Books and journal articles have gone through an editorial process at a publishing company/journal. Websites usually have no publisher controlling the quality. Be extra critical when using websites.
Well documented
Has the author cited their sources?
Regardless of which source you use, there should be a reference list (also called a bibliography or source list), footnotes, or hyperlinks in the text that indicate where the author has gotten their information from.

Internal source criticism

What's in the source
Is the content of the text credible, well-written, and without spelling errors?
Issue or hypothesis
Is there a clear issue or hypothesis? Is it relevant to your issue?
Point of view
Is the content presented in a factual, impartial, and objective manner? Are multiple sides of the issue highlighted? Or is the presentation subjective and partisan?
Consider whether the author is trying to inform you about the topic, or if they have an agenda. If the content seems one-sided, you should find other sources that can highlight the other sides of the issue.
Purpose
Is the author trying to convince us of something? Sell us something? Get us to vote for a certain party? Get us to join something?
By critically examining the external and internal aspects of the source you find, you will be better able to determine whether they are suitable as an academic basis for your assignment or your study. If you are still unsure whether the source you have found is credible, reliable, and suitable, you can contact your library for help.