Do a quick analysis of the material by looking for the author, publisher, and date of publication. You may need to do a couple of searches on the author and/or publisher to make sure that you uncover any possible issues that aren't immediately apparent just from looking at the material. For example, if a book is self-published by the author, it may be missing the high level of editing that is inherent in the corporate or academic publishing process.
Author analysis
· Who is the author or authors?
· If no author is listed, who is responsible for the material?
· What are the author’s qualifications?
o Does the author have an advanced degree in this subject/field?
o What organizations does the author affiliate with?
o What else has the author written?
o What is the author’s reputation?
Publisher analysis
· Who is the publisher?
· What type of publisher is it?
o Academic/University press
o Popular press
o Vanity press / self-published
· Does the publisher have a reputation for publishing materials with a certain viewpoint?
Currency
· When was the material published?
· Is the information current or outdated?
o Do you need current or historical information for your paper?
o Is it a seminal/important works in your field that you should know about, regardless of date?
· If there are multiple editions of the material, do you have the current edition?
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