Last revised: August 2006
Evaluating Books and Periodicals
Scope: The purpose of this guide is to provide and explain basic criteria used in the evaluation of books and journals for research. There is a companion guide, Evaluating Web Sites, which addresses information found on the Web.
Table of Contents
Initial Evaluation (from database record) |
| The process of evaluation should begin as soon as a potential source is located in a catalog or periodical database. The goal of this initial examination is to decide whether a source meets some basic requirements: it is written by someone who has knowledge of this subject, is sufficiently current for that topic, and it satisfies your requirements concerning scholarship and depth. Begin with the following elements: |
Author |
This concerns the authority of the source and whether the author is qualified to write on this subject.
Biographies are useful for learning about an author's background and qualifications. These databases (available through Research Port) help you to locate biographies: Some valuable print sources for biographies are:
Locating other books by an author: If the author's name is hyperlinked in the database, click on that link to see if there are any other books by your author in that database. Note: This will not be an exhaustive search (since it only links to the contents of that database) but it may yield some initial information. For a more thorough search of an author's publications, try these databases available through Research Port: |
Publication Date |
Currency is more important in some disciplines than others. For example, in an obscure area of history, a source which is 10 years old may be perfectly acceptable, while in a "hot" area of scientific inquiry, a few months could be outdated.
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Intended Audience |
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Assumptions can be made about the depth of analysis based on the intended audience. Once you have the item in hand, you will be able to investigate further. BOOKS Different types of publishers produce different kinds of materials for different audiences. For example, trade publishers produce materials aimed at a general consumer which may not address an issue in sufficient depth for your purposes, while scholarly/professional publishers and university presses, which publish materials aimed at the scholar or specialist, may contain more sophisticated research methodologies and analysis. Certain publishers also confine themselves to certain subjects or disciplines and will become known for materials in those areas. See the following sites for more information:
What type of periodical is it-popular/consumer, trade, or scholarly/academic? Knowing which type of periodical the publication is suggests what audience it is intended for and therefore the level of analysis and expertise expected of the contributors. For information on the differences between types of periodicals, see these guides:
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Other Indicators |
What other information is available in the database record?
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Content Analysis (once you have the item in hand)Coverage | Purpose | Audience | Objectivity | Accuracy | Consensus |
| Once the initial appraisal is complete and a source appears to be on target and credible, an in-depth evaluation of the content is required. The following criteria should lead this examination. |
Coverage |
| What coverage of the topic does the source provide? Will this source contribute to your knowledge of the subject? Does it just touch on it, or is it a comprehensive treatment?
BOOKS
PERIODICALS
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Purpose |
Considering why a source was written will assist you in placing the ideas in context and lead you towards identifying any possible bias it may contain. Is the intent to:
For books, an examination of the preface (or even the introduction) may help to identify the purpose. For articles, examine the abstract,the conclusion, and skim the article subheadings |
Audience |
| Audience was examined in the initial analysis above by looking at the publisher or type of periodical. Once you have the source in hand, you can initiate a deeper examination.
What audience is the source aimed at? General public, academics or scholars, professionals? How can you tell?
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Objectivity |
| It is important to identify if a source presents a balanced perspective. Looking at the purpose (above) is a good start.
Many sources will make an argument for one position over another. However, the source should accurately describe and address other positions, arguing against them in a reasonable, logical fashion, avoiding the use of outlandish techniques for evaluating data or discounting opposing ideas.
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Accuracy |
It is ethical practice in scholarly circles to cite your sources. Any failure to do so should raise some serious questions about the credibility of a source.
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Consensus |
| Examining what reviewers say about a source can yield insight and perspective.
BOOKS
Keep in mind that there may be a significant delay between the publication of a book and the appearance of a review, and that book reviews need to be examined with a critical eye as well. Ideally, you want to see the following elements in a book review:
Annotated bibliographies can also be useful in putting a source into perspective. Although some are purely descriptive, many contain critical analysis as well. To find annotated bibliographies in your discipline, add the keyword or subject "bibliography" to your catalog search. For more information on what an annotated bibliography is, see Preparing an Annotated Bibliography.
There is no equivalent to book reviews for periodical articles. Authors tend to appraise the work of others in subsequent articles, so one possible strategy is to look up an article in a citation index. This type of database tracks relationships between articles so you can see who cited an article, find that article, and examine the context in which the original article was cited. Be cautious about judging an article favorably by the number of times it has been cited; a high number may be an indication of virtue but it may also be an indication of folly-i.e. people may cite an article when they are arguing against its premises. Citation databases are
Annual Reviews are discipline specific publications (issued once a year) which contain articles published in the previous year which have been judged as being significant contributions to a field. Look these up in the catalog under Annual Review of...[subject]. |
