Skip to Main Content

INQS 125 Instruction Guide

Evaluating Sources

Evaluate sources using the DRAMA method

DRAMA stands for Date, Relevance, Accuracy, Motivation and Authority

Date – When was this material published? 

Relevance – Is it relevant to your research? 

Accuracy – Is the information presented accurate? A quick lateral reading can tell you if a source is accurate in its representation or not.

Motivation – Why did someone spend time to create this source?

Authority - Who created this material? What is their expertise on the topic? Remember: Anyone can make a webpage or write a blog. Doing a quick search on an author or even the publisher gives a much greater idea if someone should be talking about a topic as if they know all about it, and that allows you to judge credibility.