Pitfalls of Research | Writing for Children 171

EVALUATING YOUR SOURCES Today’s episode comes from the IFW book Searching: A Research Guide for Writers, now available in our bookstore. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, research is an important piece of having an authentic article or manuscript that connects with editors and readers. In this episode, we’re talking about how to evaluate the information you find in your research for credibility and reliability. Questions to Ask Never accept a web page at face value; always evaluate the information. Here’s a checklist of basic things to consider: • Who is the author? What credentials does this person or organization have?  • What is the purpose of the website or publication? Is it intended to inform, inspire, entertain, or persuade? What is the historical context of the information? • How comprehensive is the coverage? Is it an overview or does it delve deeply into your topic?  • Is the source impartial or does it emphasize paid links? For more questions to ask about your source, listen to the full episode.   Grab your copy of Searching: A Research Guide for Writers in the ICL Bookstore!