Evaluating Sources: A Grade 9 Worksheet

Evaluating Sources for Research

Read each question carefully and provide thoughtful responses. This worksheet will help you practice evaluating sources for your research.

When conducting research, it is crucial to evaluate your sources to ensure their credibility, accuracy, and objectivity. A reliable source helps build a strong argument, while an unreliable one can weaken your research.

1. Which of the following is the MOST important factor to consider when evaluating the credibility of an online source?

2. A source that primarily presents one side of an argument and uses emotionally charged language is likely exhibiting:

3. Wikipedia is always considered a highly credible primary source for academic research.

4. The publication date of a source is irrelevant when researching historical events.

5. A   source provides firsthand information or direct evidence about a topic, while a   source interprets or analyzes primary sources.

6. When evaluating a source, examining the author's background and   helps determine their authority on the subject.

7. You are researching the impact of social media on teenage mental health. You find an article published on a personal blog written by a high school student. Discuss at least two reasons why you should be cautious about using this source for your academic paper.

Read the following scenario and answer the questions that follow.

Scenario: You are writing a research paper on climate change. You come across an article titled "Climate Change: Hoax or Reality?" on a website called 'The Truth Seeker's Daily'. The article argues that climate change is a natural phenomenon with no human influence, citing several anonymous 'experts' and an outdated study from 1990.

8. Identify at least three red flags in the scenario that suggest 'The Truth Seeker's Daily' might not be a reliable source for your research on climate change.