Evaluating Information Sources: Books

To Evaluate a Book look for the Following:

• Purpose: Why was the book written? To:
  • inform?
  • persuade?
  • entertain?
  • teach how to do something?
  • give an overview?
• Publisher: Who published the book?
• University theses and dissertations are considered published by the university that granted the degree to the student who wrote it.
   

• Organization and Content:

•  Examine the table of contents and/or headings to determine if the book is organized in a logical and understandable manner.

• Do the contents indicate that the book contains the information you need? Is there added material such as appendices?
   

• Date of Publication:
• Know the time needs of your topic and examine the timeliness of the book; is it:
  • up-to-date,
  • out-of-date, or
  • timeless?
     

• Authority/author: Is the author an expert in this field? Where is the author employed? What else has he/she written? Has he/she won awards or honors?
   

• Bibliography: Scholarly works always contain a bibliography of the resources that were consulted. The references in this list should be in sufficient quantity and be appropriate for the content. Look for:
  • if a bibliography exists,
  • if the bibliography is short or long,
  • if the bibliography is selective or comprehensive,
  • if the references are primary sources (ex. journal articles) or only secondary sources (ex. encyclopedias),
  • if the references are contemporary to the book or much older, and
  • if the citation style is clear and consistent.
     
• Usefulness: Is the book relevant to the current research project? A well-researched, well-written, etc. book is not going to be helpful if it does not address the topic at hand. Ask, "is this book useful to me"? If it is useful, does it:
  • support an argument
  • refute an argument
  • give examples (survey results, primary research findings, case studies, incidents)
  • provide "wrong" information that can be challenged or disagreed with productively
     

• Coverage: Does the book cover the topic comprehensively, partially or is it an overview?
   

• Audience: For what type of reader is the author writing? Is the level of the book appropriate for your needs? Is the book for:
  • general readers,
  • students (high school, college, graduate),
  • specialists or professionals,
  • researchers or scholars?
     

• Illustrations: Are charts, graphs, maps, photographs, etc. used to illustrate concepts? Are the illustrations relevant? Are they clear and professional-looking?
   

• Context: Information is contextual. Who, what, when, where, why, and how will impact whether or not a resource is useful to you.