Author/source
The following questions relate to the author and source.
- Who is the author? Is the author an expert in this field?
- What is the source of the text? Is it trustworthy?
- When was it published? Is it recent?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What is the author’s purpose? Is it a neutral purpose (e.g. to explain or to inform) rather than a more biased purpose (e.g. to persuade)?
Evidence
The following questions relate to the evidence the writer uses.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Are all the points made by the author supported by evidence?
- Does the writer avoid making unsupported generalisations?
- Is there a clear distinction between fact and the author’s opinion?
- Are citations used? If so, are the cited sources trustworthy and recent?
- If there are any images or diagrams, are they clear? Do they relate directly to points in the text and support the author’s argument?
- If it is a research article, is the methodology valid (e.g. sample size, method of sampling)? Are the limitations clear? Are the results consistent with the objectives?
Assumptions/bias
The following questions relate to the assumptions the writer has, and any potential bias.
- What assumptions has the writer made? Are they clear to the reader? Are they valid?
- What is the author’s stance (i.e. position) on the topic? Is this explicit?
- Does the writer present a balanced viewpoint? Are other viewpoints considered (e.g. via counter-arguments)?
- Does the writer represent the ideas of others accurately?
- Are the writer’s conclusions reasonable in the light of the evidence presented?
- Is the writer’s language neutral? Does the writer use tentative language (e.g. It appears that… This may be caused by…) and avoid the use of emphatic words/phrases (e.g. It is obvious… Clearly… Of course…)?
- Does the writer avoid using emotional language and dramatic images?
- Are the examples representative and free from bias?
This information was remixed, transformed, or built upon EAPFOUNDATION.COM Website Copyright © 2013-present by Sheldon C H Smith and this website is for educational purposes only.