Who created the source? Can you identify an author or organization? Does the author have credentials or advanced degrees in the subject they're writing about? Can you Google their name to find out more about them?
What is the nature of the information being presented? What facts or support does the author give? Is the information supported with references, or can its accuracy be verified with additional sources?
When was the information created? Is it outdated or no longer relevant? Are you researching a topic where more current information is essential such as technology or medicine?
Where was the information published? Is it an academic source such a scholarly journal article or book, or is it a more popular source like a magazine or newspaper? What type of website is it found on (.com, .org, .edu, .gov)?
Why was the information created, or what is the author's main purpose? Is it to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or something else? Are there any biases that come into play with the intended purpose?
The article is published on a .edu website, indicating that it comes from a reputable higher education institution. The audience could be students, faculty, or anyone in the university community. There is an author name, but it is a username, john963. If you click on the username, it shows other articles written by john963, but no information about who john963 is or what his level of expertise is. Even though it's published on a .edu website, the article is a blog post, which can usually be written by anyone for any purpose. In this case, the obvious purpose is to explain the benefits of a plant-based diet -- but why the author wants to do this (e.g. to educate or to persuade) is not totally clear. The article links to several references, which indicates that the author is attempting to back up their claims with other sources. However, most of the linked references are .com websites or other blog posts, meaning that they may not be the most credible references.
Conclusion: We would likely not use this article in a research paper, because we don't know who the author is, the purpose is unclear, and the references are weak.
Students will be formed into small breakout groups, and each group will be assigned 1 source to evaluate.
