Is it Peer-Reviewed?
Peer review is the process where prior to publication a journal publisher sends out a submitted article to experts in the field for review and critique.
NOTE: Not all academic articles are peer reviewed.
Confused by what ‘peer reviewed’ means? This video will tell you and explain how it works. (2:11)
Checking for Peer Review
Use Ulrichsweb to find out whether a journal is peer-reviewed.
Look for this symbol 
after conducting a search by the journal title, this symbol indicates that the journal is peer-reviewed.
*** make sure to search by journal title and not article title.
How to Evaluate Resources
Not sure if a source is valid? This video explains how you can tell -- by using the CRAAP test. (2:10)
Evaluating Primary Sources
When evaluating primary sources consider: When evaluating online primary sources consider:
1. Reliability- Is it trustworthy? 1. Authority- Who is responsible for the website?
2. Origin- Where did it come from? 2. Audience- Who is the intended audience?
3. Validity- Does it add to your research? 3. Accuracy: Where did the documents come from?
4. Accuracy-Are there any errors? 4. Content- Is it explained, organized and accessible?
The National Library of Jamaica (2010). Evaluating Primary and Secondary Sources: An Online Tutorial. Available from: https://www.nlj.gov.jm/rai/CSEC/Evaluating%20Primary%20and%20Secondary%20Sources.pdf
Evaluating Secondary Sources
When evaluating secondary sources consider:
1. Suitability- Is there relevant information?
2. Objectivity- Can you detect the bias?
3. Accuracy and Credibility- Corroborate with other sources and check references.
4. Currency- What is the date of publication?
5. Authority- Who is the author and publisher?
The National Library of Jamaica (2010). Evaluating Primary and Secondary Sources: An Online Tutorial. Available from: https://www.nlj.gov.jm/rai/CSEC/Evaluating%20Primary%20and%20Secondary%20Sources.pdf
Critical Reading Strategies
1. Preview: See what you can learn about a text before reading it.
2. Contextualize: Situate a text in its historical, biographical and cultural contexts.
3. Question: Ask questions about the text in order to understand it.
4. Reflect: Consider whether this text challenged any of your preexisting beliefs.
5. Summarize: Outline and identify main ideas in your own words.
6. Evaluate: Assess the credibility and logic of the text.
7. Compare:Consider similarities and differences between this text and others.
(adapted from: http://www.salisbury.edu/counseling/new/7_critical_reading
_strategies.html)