MHC Library Guides: Philosophy: Websites

Websites

It is possible to find quality academic sources through Internet search engines. You will have to carefully evaluate websites and articles found beyond the library databases.

Use Google Scholar (instead of Google) to browse scholarly articles and books on your topic. If you cannot access the full-text of an article (payment required), contact the Library Information Desk for assistance.

Google Scholar
Provides scholarly articles and abstracts from most major academic publishers, as well as court opinions and patents.
To continue to access library resources off-campus, update your Google Scholar settings: in Google Scholar, select Menu > Settings > Library Links > search "Medicine Hat College" and check both options > Save. If you can't access the full text, contact the Library for help.

Before using a website, determine:

Author: Is the author qualified to write about this topic? (educational credentials)
Currency: Is the website maintained? (broken links, revised dates)
Accuracy: Are there typos or grammatical mistakes?
Content: Is the content relevant and substantial? Is there a Works Cited or References page to back up the information?

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html

Provides up-to-date by an expert or group of experts in the field.

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosopy: http://www.iep.utm.edu/

Provides open access to detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy.

Philosophy Commons: https://network.bepress.com/arts-and-humanities/philosophy/

Open-access repository of scholarly philosophy publications.

CRAAP Test

The CRAAP Test is a series of questions to ask about any source of information. The questions will help you decide whether your source is credible and appropriate for use in your research.

C	Currency: The timeliness of the information Do you know when the information was published, posted, or last updated? Is the information current for your topic and field of study?
R	Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs Is the information appropriate for a college-level course? Is this an adequately in-depth discussion of the topic? Has Canadian perspective or content been provided?
A	Authority: The source of the information Have the author's credentials or organizational affiliations been identified? Is the author (or authors) qualified to write on the topic? Has the piece been published by a well-known and respected publisher or organization?
A	Accuracy: The reliability and correctness of the informational content Have the author's sources been clearly cited so that you can easily find (and verify) them? Are there spelling, grammar, or other typographical errors?
P	Purpose: The reason the information exists Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear? Does the point of view appear objective, unbiased and impartial? Does the author acknowledge alternative versions of the issues or facts?

Adapted from: The University of the Fraser Valley (2024, July 22). Evaluating sources: Getting started. https://libguides.ufv.ca/EvaluatingSources