Chapter five is about evaluating sources. First we learn what you should particularly examine to deem a source useful for your project, and then how to apply these same methods to different types of sources. One factor you should think about when evaluating is the relevance. How does a source help you carry out your purpose? You also need to look at the quality of evidence, how much is presented, and the way it is presented. Another factor to evaluate is both the author and the publisher. You can decide how reliable a source is in part by looking at the credentials of either. Timeliness is also important. Your project may require more recent information, so something from a decade or two ago wouldn't suffice. Another factor to look for is comprehensiveness. Does your source have a complete and balanced argument?
Chapter five is very helpful when trying to weed through sources. Deciding what's important and what will work early on in the game will definitely benefit in the long run. I thought The Bedford Researcher's tips on evaluating the author and publishers were quite helpful. The database I was using to find sources doesn't have very much information on the authors. Looking at it from a new angle will really help me learn more about them. I also appreciated the part about evaluating genre. I've felt a little fuzzy on what that particularly means. Now I understand to look more for tone formality, methods of using evidence, common organization trends, and citation styles. After reading chapter five I feel more ready to go out and tackle some sources.
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