How To Evaluate Books
To evaluate a book look for:
- Purpose: Why was the book written? To:
- inform?
For example: sequence of historical events, results of lengthy study or experiment
- persuade?
For example: to change point of view, outlook, beliefs, or behavior
- entertain?
For example: most fiction, humor, gossip
- teach how to do something?
For example: resumes, cover letters, business plans, needlework, woodwork
- give an overview?
For example: textbooks, encyclopedias
- Publisher: Who published the book
University theses and dissertations are considered published by the university that granted the degree to the student who wrote it.
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Organization and Content: Examine the table of contents and/or headings to determine if the book is organized in a logical and understandable manner. Do the contents indicate that the book contains the information you need? Is there added material such as appendices?
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Date of Publication: Some topics, such as those in the health sciences, require current information. Other subjects, such as geology, value older material as well as current. Know the time needs of your topic and examine the timeliness of the book; is it:
- up-to-date,
- out-of-date, or
- timeless?
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Authority/author: Is the author an expert in this field? Where is the author employed? What else has he/she written? Has he/she won awards or honors?
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Bibliography: Scholarly works always contain a bibliography of the resources that were consulted. The references in this list should be in sufficient quantity and be appropriate for the content. Look for:
- if a bibliography exists,
- if the bibliography is short or long,
- if the bibliography is selective or comprehensive,
- if the references are primary sources (ex. journal articles) or only secondary sources (ex. encyclopedias),
- if the references are contemporary to the book or much older, and
- if the citation style is clear and consistent.
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Usefulness: Is the book relevant to the current research project? A well-researched, well-written, etc. book is not going to be helpful if it does not address the topic at hand. Ask, "is this book useful to me"? If it is useful, does it:
- support an argument
- refute an argument
- give examples (survey results, primary research findings, case studies, incidents)
- provide "wrong" information that can be challenged or disagreed with productively
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Coverage: Does the book cover the topic comprehensively, partially or is it an overview?
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Audience: For what type of reader is the author writing? Is the level of the book appropriate for your needs? Is the book for:
- general readers,
- students (high school, college, graduate),
- specialists or professionals,
- researchers or scholars?
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Illustrations: Are charts, graphs, maps, photographs, etc. used to illustrate concepts? Are the illustrations relevant? Are they clear and professional-looking?
