Summary of Resource Evaluations

When evaluating resources for validity, reliability and usefulness, the first consideration should be the author’s intended purpose for delivering the information. Were they trying to sell a product or service? Were they biased in their view of the information presented? Resources can be professional, academic, or opinionated. In evaluating the assigned resources, the author’s credentials, bias, and purpose were considered. More credibility was given to those authors whose credentials were of academic status, had professional experience in the topic area they were writing about, and showed little or no bias.

A resource is considered to be useful if the information provided pertains directly to the topic area being researched. If it speaks specifically to one point or another it is more helpful than if it is written as an overview. A source is considered accurate particularly if the information it provides is consistent with other sources that address the same subject. Whether the author is biased is another consideration. An opinion that agrees with the researcher’s position will be useful, but evaluating the information on accuracy is even more important. Just because the information is what one may want, it doesn’t mean the source is credible. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to agreeing sources.

Wikipedia and encyclopedias are generally not good sources. While Wikipedia appear to provide current and interesting information on a topic, it cannot be regarded as credible because its content can be altered by the general public. No professional experience, expertise, or credentials are required to add or alter a Wikipedia entry. Encyclopedias, however, can provide good information, but their information is typically dated and not terribly in depth. Using the reference sources that these resources cite may prove useful, but only after a thorough evaluation of that research has been conducted.

Overall, it is important to know how to evaluate resources in graduate school because much of the work done is based heavily on research. If the resources are not evaluated then research used may be inaccurate or unreliable and therefore result in poor performance at the graduate level. Regardless of the type of source, accurately referencing and citing the information is of the utmost importance. Failure to do so can be considered plagiarism and students can be placed on academic probation or expelled from their program. The ideas, theories, and work of an author does not belong anyone but the author, and that author deserves to be credited when their work is used. Additionally, should professors or other readers of graduate papers want additional information about a topic that has been written about, they should be able to go directly to the sources of the research. Lastly, in graduate school, it is expected that students not simply write papers based upon their opinions and experiences, but to write papers based on actual in depth research.

Many graduate students will go on to become leaders of corporations, industry, and even society. Thus, it makes sense that, in preparing for potential leadership roles or simply advanced career positions, graduate students are held to a higher level of accountability than undergraduate students. The use of academic references and scholarly sources is integral to this preparation and to meeting the standards that graduate students are held to in school and will be held to in the professional world.