POL 111

Whether you are using a journal article, website, or news article, you always want to make sure your sources are reliable. Your instructor evaluates you on the sources you select, so make sure to choose high-quality sources.

To determine if a source is appropriate for your assignment, follow the Five Ws below and ask yourself the following questions:

Who wrote it?

• Author, credentials, organization

What type of source is it?

• Scholarly or popular? Website or Journal article? Technical language or Casual language?

When was it written?

• Is it current information?

Where did the information in the article come from?

• Is it original research? Did they cite their sources? Is it based on previous findings?

Why is it being written?

• Is it to share research with other academics? Is it to change your point of view? Is it trying to sell you something?