Modified from Colorado State University Libraries
Currency
Look for the publication date: Topics such as health sciences, technology, or social trends require current information. Other subjects, such as art history or philosophy, value older material as well as current. Know the time needs of your topic and examine the timeliness of the book; is it:
up-to-date,
out-of-date, or
timeless?
Accuracy
Bibliography: Scholarly works always contain a bibliography of the resources that were consulted. The references in this list should be in sufficient quantity and be appropriate for the content. Look for:
Relevance
Does this book relate to my thesis statement or general topic? A well-researched, well-written, etc. book is not going to be helpful if it does not address the topic at hand. Ask, "is this book useful to me"? If it is useful, does it:
Purpose
Purpose: Why was the book written? To:
Authority
Authority/author: Is the author an expert in this field? Where is the author employed? What else has he/she written? Who published this book (university press, self-published, commercial publisher, government)? Places to look for this information are: