Evaluating Relevance

Issue

Strategies

Does the work address your research question or meet the requirments of your assignment?

Review your research question and/or assignment

If you created a concept, or brain map, consult it for gaps in your information

Is the content appropriate for your research topic or assignment?
(Consider scholarly vs. popular, fact vs. opinion, format/medium (e.g., book, journal, government report, web site, etc.), subject coverage, language, time period, geographical area, audience, primary vs. secondary information

Check the table of contents or scan the subheadings

Read the preface, abstract, introduction, and/or conclusion

Look for footnotes or endnotes and/or a bibliography

Look for reviews:

Magazines for Libraries
Book reviews
Internet Scout Report

Evaluating Sections

1. Evaluating
2. Your Search Strategy
3. Credibility
4. Usefulness
     -    Objectivity
     -    Quality
     -    Coverage

- Relevance

5. Summary