Public Relations

Understand the assignment --

it can help direct you to the right type of resources.

• What is the final form for your project? ... a paper, a poster or presentation, media?
• This can help direct you to the format of materials needed for the project; e.g., written, audio, video or visual...

• Do you need to persuade someone to a viewpoint, an idea, to take action or to buy something? or, do you need to inform or report on a topic?
  
• This can help direct you to the kinds of materials needed for the project; e.g., editorials, letters to the editor, opinion polls, statistics, etc.

• Do you need more informal popular material or extremely formal refereed material? or, do you need case studies found in trade publications?
  
• This can help direct you to the type of database or search you need to do. Popular material can be found through large aggregators like Academic Search Premier or MasterFile Premier while trade and/or scholarly material is better found through a subject database like ABI/INFORM or Communication and Mass Media Complete.
  

Compare results

• If it is a web page, is the web page as good as (or better than) what I could find in journal/magazine articles or other published literature that is not on the free, general web?

• If it is an article, is the article as good as (or better than) other articles I may be able to find by changing my search terms or changing the database I am searching in --- do I need a specific subject database.

Purpose

• Does the page or article meet your needs? _____
• Are the tone, content and style of the article or page meeting the needs of your  audience? _____

Authority

• Is there an author listed? _____
• Does the author cite sources or a bibliography? _____
• Does the author cite formal credentials or experience? _____
• Can you contact the author? _____
• Do you know who sponsored or published the page or journal? _____

Accuracy

• Does the article/site provide documentation for the information provided? _____
• Does the article/site provide information that contradicts other sources? _____
• Does the article/site include an explanation of its research methods? _____

Currency

• Has the site been updated recently?  Is the date of the last revision posted? _____
• Is the subject matter time-sensitive? _____

Objectivity/Bias

• Is the author affiliated with a particular organization that might have a bias? _____
• Are all sides of an issue represented? _____
• Does the absence of other viewpoints indicate a bias or hidden agenda? _____