Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
"Information resources reflect their creators’ expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required." ACRL Framework for Information Literacy
- How do you determine credibility?
- What makes a source authoritative?
- Is this biased?
- Who is the audience?
CRAAP Test
Information can come from a variety of sources. Knowing the author's background, publication process, and audience area few of the ways to evaluation your source.
A popular method to evaluating sources is the CRAAP test:
*Image from: https://blogs.canterbury.ac.uk/library/roll-up-roll-up-free-academic-sources/
Scholarly vs. Popular Articles
Specific characteristics help identify if a source is scholarly or popular.
*Image from: https://dornsife.usc.edu/writingcenter/handouts/
Peer Review Process
The Peer Review Process is one process of publication where authors submit their work for review by members of that profession. These peers then determine if this work is suitable for publication.
*Image from: https://authorservices.wiley.com/Reviewers/journal-reviewers/what-is-peer-review/the-peer-review-process.html
- Identify Peer Reviewed ArticlesWatch this brief tutorial on identifying peer reviewed articles.
- What does the "peer review" filter mean?When you search in the USC Libraries, you may notice a filter on the left-hand side that says “Peer-Reviewed Journals.” And assignments often require you to use peer-reviewed, or scholarly, sources. What does this mean, and why would you use this filter? That’s what we’ll cover in this tutorial.