21 About Week 4
Week 4: Source Evaluation
In Weeks 1-3, we covered library basics, what types of sources you might use for academic research, and how to search for them using library search tools. Now, it’s time to decide what to do with all those sources you found!
Source evaluation is an important step in the research process. It’s when you decide whether a source is relevant, trustworthy, and rigorous enough for your unique research need. This week offers some important considerations, a step-by-step method for navigating the complicated digital world, and basic markers of credibility and rigor in scholarly research.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this week, students will be able to…
- Identify different sources of expertise (academic, professional, lived experience) and understand their value to scholarly research.
- Apply the SIFT method to quickly evaluate a digital source’s credibility.
- Choose appropriate scholarly sources using basic markers of credibility and relevancy (e.g., publication date, peer review).
- Understand why the desire for “neutrality” can overlook marginalized perspectives.
Week 4 Activities
- Read and watch Week 4 content.
- Participate in the Week 4 Discussion Board by 10 PM Wednesday, Sep. 17.
- Complete the Week 4 Self-Check Quiz by 10 PM Sunday, Sep. 17.
- Respond to a classmate’s post on the discussion board by 10 PM Sunday, Sep. 17.
- Turn in your First Source Annotation by 10 PM Sunday, Sep. 17.
