Evaluating Sources: Rationale

Evaluating Sources Using Rationale


Vocabulary

  • Rationale

One of the first questions in this framework is: What is the rationale or reason for a source being created? 

All types of sources: books, films, journal articles, web pages, etc. are made with some intent. Most sources are created to educate, entertain, or sell something. The reason a source was created can inform whether or not the source matches your need for information.

There are several questions that you can use to determine its purpose:

  • Why did the creator or author of this source publish it?
  • Whose perspectives are included in the source - and whose are not?
  • Can you identify any bias within the source, where the author is predisposed to favour or highlight one side of the story?
  • What language is used in the source? Does that tell you anything about the intended audience of the source?
  • What is the author's line of research or main theoretical background? Does the author's theoretical background match your research question? Is it coherent? Does it make sense?

Activity

Let’s return to our scenario from the previous page:

You watched the video below on YouTube.

Try to answer these questions about the criteria for rationale:

  • Why did the creator or author of this source publish it?
  • Whose perspectives are included in the source - and whose aren’t?
  • Can you identify any bias within the source, where the author is predisposed to favour or highlight one side of the story?
  • What is the author's line of research or main theoretical background? Does the author's theoretical background match your research question? Is it coherent? Does it make sense?

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