Dental Hygiene Research: Evaluating Information

Things to look for:

• (Multiple) expert authors
• Scholarly sources
• Journal with clear information about their peer-review process and editors
• Parts of the article: abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion

A: Authority

• Is there an author’s name?
• Can you locate the author’s credentials?
• Can you find evidence of author expertise in the subject?
• How many other works have they authored on this subject?
• Do you have personal recommendations for this author?
• Do you know the publisher’s credentials and reputation?
• Are there similar works from this publisher?

S: Sources

• Is information presented as fact?  If yes…
  • Does the author provide documentation? (Bibliography, footnotes, links, etc.)
• If documentation/sources are included, are they from credible sources?

P: Purpose

• Was this source written to inform and educate?
• Does the source argue a perspective or specific opinion?
• Is the source intended to entertain or sell?
• Is the content aimed at a general audience, or is it written for readers with expertise in the subject?
• Is the source too basic, too technical, too advanced?
• Is the source just right for your research needs?                 

E: Evenness

• Does the author recognize other points of view?
• Is the information presented objective?
• If the source is biased, does the author acknowledge the bias?

C: Coverage

• Is the information new? Does it support what you have found in other sources?
• Is the source comprehensive or inclusive enough for your needs?
• Does this source provide information that is relevant to your needs?

T: Timeliness

• When was the source published?
• Is the date appropriate for your topic?
• When researching subjects related to science, (like Biology) and Medicine, (such as Dental Hygiene or Nursing), it is often more appropriate if the information is from the last five years.