{"id":273,"date":"2014-07-25T20:09:55","date_gmt":"2014-07-25T20:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/writershandbook\/?post_type=chapter&p=273"},"modified":"2014-07-25T21:05:54","modified_gmt":"2014-07-25T21:05:54","slug":"7-5-evaluating-sources","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-mcc-styleguide\/chapter\/7-5-evaluating-sources\/","title":{"raw":"7.5 Evaluating Sources","rendered":"7.5 Evaluating Sources"},"content":{"raw":" \r\n
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7.5<\/span> Evaluating Sources<\/h2>\r\n
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Know how to ascertain if the information a source offers is relevant to your topic and current enough to use.<\/li>\r\n\t
  2. Comprehend whether information is objective, reasonable and accurate.<\/li>\r\n\t
  3. Understand how to determine if a source is credible.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\nReturning to Jacoba\u2019s project, we can see that each type of genre she might use to write her essay on Social Security will require different questions to ask, sources to pursue, evidence and support to use.\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Genre<\/th>\r\nInformative Essays<\/th>\r\nInterpretive Essays<\/th>\r\nPersuasive Essays<\/th>\r\nProblem-Solving Essays<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    Questions to ask<\/strong><\/td>\r\nWhat are the present facts about Social Security and its solvency?<\/td>\r\nWhat has Social Security meant to American history, culture, politics, and government?<\/td>\r\nShould Social Security be saved or phased out?<\/td>\r\nAssuming it\u2019s worth saving, how can we preserve Social Security in a way that doesn\u2019t put us in more debt?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Types of sources<\/strong><\/td>\r\nGovernment budget figures, projections, and reports<\/td>\r\nHistorical records from the 1930s forward<\/td>\r\nEditorials and position papers from policy experts and think tanks<\/td>\r\nArticles and book-length works on fiscal policy and government entitlements<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Evidence and support<\/strong><\/td>\r\nDemographics, actuarial tables, and economic statistics<\/td>\r\nPolitical speeches and advertisements, congressional and presidential records<\/td>\r\nArguments from Social Security proponents and opponents<\/td>\r\nPolicy recommendations and proposals<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe more Jacoba reflects on the kind of research she wants to spend her time conducting and the kind of writing she\u2019s most comfortable doing, the better off she\u2019ll be.\r\n\r\nWhen you evaluate a source, you need to consider the seven core points shown in Figure 7.2.\r\n
    \r\n\r\nFigure 7.2<\/span>\r\n\r\n\"\"<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nA source is relevant<\/strong> if it can contribute to your paper in a meaningful way, which might include any of the following:\r\n