Biology

Currency

Is the information up-to-date?

How important is currency to your topic?

Check the item's publication date.

Authority

How expert is the author the topic?

What are the author's credentials?

When using web sites, look for the "About" page.

If you are not sure about the author's expertise, Google his or her name. Is he/she affiliated with a reputable institution (e.g., university), organization, or publication?

Relevancy

Is the source relevant to your research? How?

Does the "aboutness" of the source match the information need?

Summarize in 1-2 sentences how the source fits your information need.

Documentation

How in-depth is the information you've found?

How important is it for your purposes that the author formally cite her sources?

Note if and how the author documents his or her sources.

Information Type

What type (or genre) of information is it?

Identify the kind of resource you are evaluating (news article, magazine article, scholarly article, book chapter) and format (print or electronic).

Explain to yourself why this type of information is appropriate to use for your purposes.

Objectivity

Does the author seem to be giving equal weight to both sides of an argument or issue?

Is the author or publisher trying to sell you something? 

Cite one example in which you notice the author explaining multiple sides of an issue.

If you can't find an example, explain why it is biased.