Faculty often tell students to use scholarly (or academic) sources rather than popular ones. This distinction applies most often to the use of articles found in journals, periodicals, and magazines. Many of the same distinctions apply to books. The author’s credentials, the writing style, the presence (or lack) of footnotes, and the type of publisher (university press or mass-market publishing house) should all be looked at when evaluating the quality of a particular book. 

Understanding the Peer Review Process

What is peer review? How do articles get peer reviewed? Why is peer review important? 
Watch this short video from NC State University Libraries on the peer review process:
Peer Review in Three Minutes

Evaluating information found in a library database:  Many sources which were previously available only in print format are now also available electronically. In some cases, the print version has been discontinued and completely replaced by an online version. This is particularly true of databases (indexes) for locating journal articles. Those resources linked to the library web page have been chosen for their value to the curriculum. You will still need to evaluate the results of your searches, but the resources are provided through library subscriptions because of the value of the content to the campus community.

Evaluating information found on the Web:  Sites which are freely available over the web, such as those found by a search in Google, require thorough evaluation because the quality of the content can vary so widely.

Things to keep in mind when evaluating both print sources and web sites:

A selection of sources on the Web to help in evaluating Internet information:

• Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools from Cornell University Library
• A Student’s Guide to Research with the WWW from St. Louis University, Department of English
• Evaluating Internet Sources from Grossmont College Library