Point of view, objectivity, and bias
Questions to ask about articles in magazines, journals or newspapers:
In addition to the questions raised for evaluating books, ask, is the article published in a magazine that has a particular editorial position or philosophy?Is the article an editorial that is trying to argue a position?
Questions to ask about web sites:
Is there any advertising on the page? What is the stated purpose of the site? Check the "About..." link if there is one. What position is presented? Is the website sponsored by a company or organization that advocates a certain philosophy? Is the page designed to sway opinion? You may want to use data from an advocacy group’s site for a persuasive speech. Consider though, would using factual data, such as statistics, from a university or a government agency web site lend your argument more credibility?