How to decide if printed information is reliable?
You need to judge whether or not a book or other source of information is reliable or valid. You can sometimes start to evaluate a source of information before you have the book in your hand! You may have seen the book mentioned in other books or you may be able to read a review. Some websites, such as Amazon and Google Book Search, include sample pages.
Consider these three important points:
- Who is the Author?
- Who is the Publisher?
- When was it published?
Author
Questions to ask about the author are:
- What is the author’s educational background,qualifications and experience?
- Does the author have any previously published work?
- Where does the author work - is this relevant to the book? Are they associated with a professional or reputable institution? - This may affect the approach taken.
- Has your tutor or other books mentioned the author or provided references to their work?
- Sometimes books take form of a collection of short essays etc. each by a different author, and brought together and organised by an editor. What are the editor’s qualifications etc. just as if they were the sole author. Editors are usually well respected in their subject area and have a background of previous writing or editorial work.
Publisher
The publisher’s name is usually on the cover or spine of the book. If not, look at the title page; this is the first proper page of the book and will tell you the title of the book, the author’s name and the name of the publisher. On the back of the title page you will always find the “history” of the book: the publisher, the date of publication, the edition and usually the book's ISBN (International Standard Book Number).
Some publishers are well known and highly respected such as the BBC. Others will be Government Departments or even the Government’s own publisher, the Stationery Office (or HMSO). University publications are likely to be scholarly, trustworthy and influential, Manchester University Press for example.
Use Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook or the Writer’s Handbook to check publisher details. Publishers websites will give you a general impression of quality and tell you which titles they publish.
Less well-known publishers may specialise in only one or two subjects. Whurr publish only books for teachers who work with dyslexic students. You can usually see if a publisher is a specialist simply by looking at the titles in their catalogue or on their website.
Companies publish material for educational purposes often available free of charge. Such material may be trustworthy but you should always ask yourself “why is this company publishing this booklet?” It may have been produced to promote their own products, or to put forward a particular argument, or even to present a competitor in a bad light. It is best not to rely upon material from such a source unless you are certain of its reliability.
Finally, there are two very unusual groups of publishers: “On Demand” and “Vanity”.
On Demand publishers hold the material electronically and print out hard copies only when they receive an order. This tends to be very specialised material.
Vanity Publishers publish whatever the author pays them to print! Usually this will be a novel or a collection of poems but may be non-fiction; material which the author has not been able to get published otherwise. You should avoid using such items as resources as they have no publisher-backed guarantee of reliability.
Date
Date of publication will give you a good idea of its usefulness. (You will find the date of publication on the title page, or on the back of the title page next to the copyright symbol). Your subject will dictate how up-to-date you need material to be. Humanities books may stay relevant for years, and you may have to use material published many years ago. Conversely, computing books usually need to be up-to-date as the subject changes rapidly.
If just one date is given on the title page, then that is the date when it was published.
“Reprinted” means exactly that, the book was so popular that it was reprinted exactly like the first copy and went back on sale. This is generally a good sign; it means that bookshops and suppliers ran out of stock and asked for new copies to be produced. The original date of publication is the first date.
“Edition” is significantly different. If you see that a book is a new edition that means that sometime after it was first published the author and publisher decided to add some new material and update the book. It was then printed again with new information, new cover etc. and put back on sale.
A book that has been through several editions has been altered to include new knowledge or to correct earlier mistakes. Rather than commission a brand new book the publisher has decided to keep a book that is well known and respected and just update it with new information. Many printings or editions are an indication that the work has become a standard source in its area and is reliable. You should usually use the most recent edition.
Other methods of establishing reliability
Purpose
What is the purpose of the book and is it suitable for that purpose?
This is where your own preferences and common sense comes in. Would you buy a guide to photography if it didn’t have any sample photographs in it? Would you buy a history of Western art if it didn’t have colour pictures of famous artworks in it. Is the book well-presented and readable?
Reviews of the book
- Has it been recommended to you? By your tutor or fellow students?
- Is it on your reading list? Is it mentioned in other books?
- Are there any reviews of it on the web or elsewhere?
What do you know about the book
Look at the Foreword or Preface for the aims of the book, the Contents list for the chapters and main categories, and the Index for the topics covered.
Finally, do you like the style? Is it well laid out and easy to read, with good illustrations? Who is the book aimed at? Is it meant for a general or specialized audience?
As a general rule you can be confident that books held in a library are reliable; they have been selected by experienced and well qualified professionals. If you have any doubts at all, check with your College Librarian.