C.A.R.S. Analysis: Evaluating sources

C – CREDIBILITY
This is the ETHOS of the sources.

· Who is the author?

· What is his or her professional standing and experience?

· Where was the information published? Is it credible (i.e. no chat rooms, general websites, personal pages, etc.) If you cannot identify the source of information, particularly on the Internet, it is NOT a valid source.

A – ACCURACY
This requires you to be able to verify that the information provided is correct. This depends on citations in the original source, validity of surveys, finding similar statistics in other sources (triangulation – or repeating information in two other sources – can be required of extensive college research papers).

Other signs of accuracy include the reliability of cited sources, such as using US Census Bureau or other sources deemed credible.

R – REASONABLENESS
Make sure your information connects to the right information. Consider whether the statistic actually supports the point. Also, look at timeliness of information. Watch for over-generalizations, hasty generalizations, hyperbole, making issues black and white (either/or), and other logical fallacies.

· Sources you use in your paper/discussion should be RELEVENT

To your subject, your purpose, and your intended audience

· Sources should be RELIABLE

Check for/recognize possible biases in your sources. What does your author have to gain from presenting this information to you? Motive? Biases are okay, as long as you acknowledge the bias and then support/refute the ideas.

S – SUPPORT

This is the LOGOS of the sources

· Is the support sufficient?

· Is it accurate?

· Can you apply the first three criteria to each piece of evidence provided?

Internet Sources – be especially careful with these sources!

· Authorship – who is the author? Credentials? Can you verify?

· Publishing organization – is it authoritative? (CNN vs. personal home page)

· Point of view or bias – can you recognize these?

· Knowledge of the literature – references to other texts? (triangulation)

· Accuracy and reliability – can you verify the info?

· Currency – may/may not be important based on purpose and audience

Sources that are not credible, accurate, reasonable, well-supported do not belong in your paper/discussion. Make sure all of your sources are reliable/credible, especially Internet sources.