How to Evaluate Scholarly Publications
The points listed below for evaluating scholarly publications are those generally employed by subject
specialists and scholars in most disciplines. With practice, many experts have internalized this process and apply it
automatically.
AUTHOR
Who is the author? What is her/his occupation, position,education, experience,etc.? Is the author qualified (or not) to
write the article? What are the author's credentials? Is this a specifically stated, or can it be inferred from the
way the subject is presented?
PURPOSE
What is the purpose for writing the article or doing the research? Is the purpose specifically stated or implied? Does
the author have a particular message? Does the author want to prove a point, argue a case, describe a situation, remedy
a problem, etc.? What is the thesis?
INTENDED AUDIENCE
To what audience is the author writing? Is it intended for the general public, for scholars, interested laymen,
students, policy makers, teachers, professionals, practitioners, etc.? Is this reflected in the author's writing
style, subject matter or vocabulary? Is the intended audience specifically stated or implied?
AUTHOR BIAS
Does the author have a bias or make assumptions upon which the rationale of the article or research rests? Is this
evident from what the author says or does not say? Is it reflected in the author's writing style, organization, use
of evidence, facts or sources of information, subject matter or vocabulary? What biases or assumptions are evident? Is
the bias obvious or subtle?
INFORMATION SOURCE
What methods and/or sources were used to obtain the date for the article? Is the article based on personal opinion or
experience, interviews, questionnaires, original research, library research, laboratory experiments, empirical
observation, standardized personality tests, etc.? Were these the best or most appropriate sources or methods for this
study?
AUTHOR CONCLUSION
What conclusions does the author draw? Are these conclusions specifically stated or are they implied?
CONCLUSION JUSTIFICATION
Are the conclusions justified from the research or experience? Are the conclusions in sync with the original purpose of
the research and supported by the data? Are the conclusions skewed by bias? [In other words, are the author's
conclusions justified by the evidence presented in the article/book? CR]
