IF I

Identifying emotions:

• What are your honest opinions regarding the topic?
• Have you addressed your internal biases?
• Make an all-inclusive list of counter-opinions or counter-arguments.

Finding unbiased resources:

• Conduct a general knowledge overview.
• Search for information in : encyclopedias, wikis, dictionaries, etc.

Intellectual courage:

• Identify credible materials for all of the viewpoints - yours and the additional you identified
• Reject unsound arguments - have the courage to accept that not all viewpoints are valid
  • ​Validity and Invalidity, Soundness and Unsoundness and How do we show that an argument is invalid are two useful resources to help determine the validity of a viewpoint

APPLY

Authority

• Who is the author (may be individual or organization) and/or publisher?
• What are the credentials and affiliation or sponsorship of any named individuals or organizations?
• How objective, reliable, and authoritative are they?
• Have they written other articles or books?
• Is/Are the author(s) listed with contact information (street address, e-mail)?
• Do they specialize in publishing certain topics or fields?

Purpose/Point of view of source 

• Does the author have an agenda beyond education or information?
• What can be said about the content, context, style, structure, completeness and accuracy of the information provided by the source?
• Are any conclusions offered? If so, based on what evidence and supported by what primary and secondary documentation?
• What is implied by the content?
• Are diverse perspectives represented?
• Is the content relevant to your information needs?
• Why was the information provided by the source published?
• What are the perspectives, opinions, assumptions and biases of whoever is responsible for this information?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is anything being sold?

• Does the publisher have an agenda?
• When was the information published?
  • Publication date is generally located on the title page or on the reverse side of the title page (copyright date).
• Is the information provided by the source in its original form or has it been revised to reflect changes in knowledge?
• Has the publisher published other works?
• Is this information timely and is it updated regularly?
• Is the publisher scholarly (university press, scholarly associations)? Commercial? Government agency? Self (“vanity”) press?

• Where else can the information provided by the source be found?
• Is this information authentic?
• Is this information unique or has it been copied?

• Is this information current? Can you find more current or relevant information?
• Is the cited information current? Make sure work is not based on outdated research, statistics, data, etc.
• Is the information routinely updated?