Computer Science Research Guide

The Big 5 Criteria AAOCC (Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency, and Coverage) can help you evaluate your sources for credibility:

• Authority: Discover the credentials of the authors of the source and determine their level of expertise and knowledge about the subject.
• Accuracy: Consider whether the source presents accurate information and whether you can verify that information.
• Objectivity (purpose): Think about the author's purpose in creating the source and consider how that affects its usefulness to your research. 
• Currency: Check the publication date and determine whether it is sufficiently current for your topic.
• Coverage (relevance): Consider whether the source is relevant to your research and whether it covers the topic adequately for your needs.

Authority

Who is the author or creator (who is responsible for the intellectual content) and what are their credentials?

• Is there any indication of the author's education, other publications, professional affiliations or experience?
• Is there a note or paragraph describing the author's credentials?
• Is the author's e-mail address, postal address or phone number provided? 
• Has the author been cited in other bibliographies?

For Web Sites

• Be sure to distinguish between the author of the information and, if separate, the person who posted it.
• In the case of Web material provided by committees, organizations, businesses, or government agencies (rather than individuals), similar questions concerning the authority of these bodies need to be asked. Be sure to consider whether information provided by corporate bodies is likely to be objective, factual and carefully researched or whether it is biased toward the particular objectives of those bodies or the causes, movements or agendas they support.
• Analysis of the URL sometimes provides an indication of identity of the web site sponsor.
• Look for an "about us" or "FAQ" (frequently asked questions) page.

Accuracy/Quality

• Is the information provided specific?
• In all cases, all information should be verifiable. Are conclusions based on research or actual figures that can be checked in other sources?
• Are methods of scientific research explained in such a way that it could be reproduced?
• Are sources of information listed in foot/end notes, bibliographies, or lists of references? How reliable are the cited sources?
• Are critical reviews available (for books, films, literature, music, art)?

For Web Sites

• High-quality writing, including good format, grammar, spelling and punctuation, can enhance the appearance of accuracy and bolster a reader's confidence in the accuracy and reliability of a Web page. It is easy however, to produce a website that appears "professional;" that's a good start, but not sufficient evidence to conclude that the information provided is accurate. Use the other criteria as well.

Objectivity

• Authors often have their own agendas, for example to sell products, influence legislation or capture converts. There probably is no absolute objectivity upon which everyone could agree. When using any information resource, you must decide whether the information is sufficiently objective for your purpose or whether it is biased. Of course a highly biased presentation can be included in scholarly research as long as that bias is described and weighed against alternative views or interpretations.
• Is there any advertising or solicitation for donations associated with the source? This  financial support may skew the subject coverage by the publication.
• Does the author provide more than one point of view?
• Does the writing use inflammatory or biased language?

Currency

• Currency is especially important in the sciences where new developments occur frequently.
• In the arts and humanities, currency needs to be judged as appropriate. In some cases, a study written years ago may be essential to understanding.
• Consider whether or not the timeliness of the information will affect its usefulness.
• In all cases, there should be some indication of the date of the material. If research results are given, consider not only the date of the publication but also when the research was actually conducted.

For Web Sites

• It is important for information found on the web to be up-to-date. 
• There should be some indication of the date of the material, as in the "last updated" statement at the end of many Web pages.
• Be aware that the "Last updated" date of the web page may differ from the date of the content. This may mean checking three dates, the date the page was last updated or posted to the web, the date of publication, and the date of the research or statistics used.
• Also, many web pages show today's date-- which may not be the date of last update.

Coverage

• Decide whether the information source adequately covers the topic. Documents may cover only part of the topic, and you may need more sources to have a more thorough understanding.
• Consider how coverage from one source compares with coverage by other sources.
• Look for a statement describing the purpose or coverage of the source and consider if the information is in-depth enough for your needs.
• Does the information source leave questions unanswered (ask the "five W's and H" to check: who, what, when, where, why and how)?