Research Process Tutorial: Evaluate & Choose sources

CHOOSE the most relevant, trustworthy, and current resources.

R is for RATIONALE, the reason it exists.  This will also let you know what the content BIAS is.
A is for AUTHORITY, is the author an EXPERT? Who says?
D is for DATE, is it CURRENT information? Some theories change in days.
A is for ACCURACY of information. Is the information you are receiving COMPLETE and IN CONTEXT, or cherry-picked and deceiving?
R is for RELEVANT, this could also be the first thing.  If it isn't useful for your goal, don't waste your time by reading.

If information doesn't pass a RADAR test, it is probably not worth your time.

More mnemonics

Caution: If you decide to use content that is unreliable, biased, or from an anonymous source, be careful to explain why you are still using such untrustworthy information.  

Step 2: Evaluate Information that has not been filtered by a library database.

Hint: Do all your resources pass an evaluation test?
R.A.D.A.R. 
R.A.V.E.N.
C.R.A.A.P. P. 

This Help Guide will walk you through each stage of the research process.