How to Evaluate Sources

Evaluating the Evidence Presented in a Magazine or Newspaper Article

Once you have determined that a magazine or newspaper article is relevant to your research writing project, there are several ways to evaluate the evidence the article presents. As a research writer, you can evaluate not only the kind of information offered to support points made in a source, but also the quality, amount, and appropriateness of evidence.

In this demonstration, we'll follow student writer Aaron Batty as he evaluates the evidence in an article from the news source BBC News.

The first step in evaluating the evidence of a magazine or newspaper article is to determine whether the sources of information are provided. If the article makes claims but does not back up its assertions with documented evidence, you should be careful about trusting that information. Knowing the origins of evidence used in a source can make a significant difference in your evaluation of it. For example, if a source quotes a political poll but doesn't indicate what organization conducted the poll, you won't be able to determine the reliability of that evidence.

The BBC News article presents many facts and quotes, most of which are attributed to their sources. Other facts are not attributed directly to a source, but with a large and established news source like BBC News, articles are fact-checked and verified, so Aaron was reasonably sure that what he read was accurate.

The next step for Aaron was to determine whether the information in the article was consistent with the information found in other print sources, Web sites, newsgroups, or mailing lists. To do so, Aaron conducted more research on his topic.

As you evaluate the magazine or newspaper article you have chosen, also consider whether evidence is carefully put together, complete, and up-to-date. Consider the thesis, if any, and whether it is supported by credible evidence. Ask whether the argument or analysis seems convincing. If the source leaves you with several important questions unanswered, you might do better to look for another source.

As Aaron read the BBC News article, he made sure that the article presented both sides of the argument. He also determined that the source contained strong quotations or hard facts that would be effective in his final essay. As you can see in the example below, this article contains plenty of strong quotations that would be effective in an essay that included the reaction of both China and Taiwan to the Taiwanese election.

Click on the Continue button to view a demonstration of evaluating the author of the article.