The next step is to evaluate your sources. Consider the following:
Author
- Who is the author?
- What makes the author credible to write about this controversial issue?
- Think about their education or experience
- Example: A credible author for information about global warming might include an environmental scientist or a meteorologist
Publisher
- Who is the publisher?
- What do you know about them?
- What is their motivation for publishing this information? (government, educational, for profit, scam, hoax, etc.)
- Note: Wikipedia isn't a credible publisher because anyone can create or edit the content.
Date
- How old is the source?
- Does date matter?
- Note: most controversial issues are "hot topics" in the news. For best results, find sources published within the last 3-5 years.
Bias
- Is the author or publisher associated with a company, organization, or agency that would make them biased on the topic?
- Example: Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, might be a little biased when asked about the effects of social media on society
- Is your source only sharing one side of the argument?
- Example: Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, will probably only share the positive effects of social media on society
- Be sure to include sources from both sides of the argument in your paper to show how the issue is addressed on each side.
- Almost all sources will contain some level of bias. Use your best judgment when selecting sources and always evaluate your sources.
