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Evaluate Your Sources

Don't be caught using unreliable information. Learn to fact check and evaluate your sources to identify and use credible ones.

Currency Refers to the Timeliness of the Information

 

Some Questions to Ask: Where to Look for Answers:

  • Is this information you want to use current enough for your project?

  • When was the information gathered and posted or published?

  • Has the article or Web site content been revised or updated?

  • On a Web site, do all the links work?

  • Publication date

  • Copyright date

  • Last updated

Examples

Is the Source Current Enough For Your Purpose?

This CQ Researcher report prominently displays its publication date. Even though it’s from 2018, the topic has evolved since then. For example, so much has happened regarding affordable housing since the COVID-induced housing crisis.

CQ Researcher article example of currency

This report would likely still be valuable for background information, but consulting more current sources would be essential to form a more thorough understanding of the topic.

In fact, the Issue Tracker on the right side of the report links to a newer CQ Researcher report that would include more up-to-date information.

 

 

Subjects: Research Tips
Tags: evaluate, fake, how_to, howto, misinformation, news
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and CC BY-NC 4.0 Licenses.