1. Use CARDIO to Evaluate Sources
INSTRUCTOR’S KEY:
Use CARDIO to Evaluate Sources
Currency . Authority . Relevance
Documentation . Information Type . Objectivity
In this example, we evaluate the food blog, foodbabe.com. For an in-depth critique of this website, see Courtney Rubin’s New York Times’ article, “Taking On the Food Industry, One Blog Post at a Time” (2015). In this piece she exposes the inaccuracies in foodbabe.com, thus demonstrating why it is so essential to always evaluate your information sources.
INSTRUCTIONS: Choose one source from your research and list the relevant citation information. Then evaluate it using the criteria on the other side of this page.
EXAMPLE TOPIC: nutrition and health
DATABASE YOU USED
Google
TITLE OF PUBLICATION
Food Babe
TITLE OF ARTICLE OR CHAPTER
“Dissecting Thin Mints Girl Scout Cookies {It Isn’t Pretty!}
AUTHOR(S)
Vani Hari
PUBLICATION DATE
Jan. 19, 2016
VOLUME AND ISSUE NUMBERS NA
PAGE NUMBERS
URL (INCLUDE ADDRESS UP TO DOMAIN: .COM, .ORG):
foodbabe.com
A HELPFUL WAY OF REMEMBERING THE CRITERIA YOU SHOULD CONSIDER WHEN YOU ARE EVALUATING INFORMATION

2. CURRENCY AUTHORITY RELEVANCE DOCUMENTATION INFORMATION TYPE
IS THE INFORMATION UP TO DATE? HOW IMPORTANT IS CURRENCY TO YOUR TOPIC?
 Check the item’s publication date.
Yes, the blog is updated regularly.
AUTHORITY
HOW EXPERT IS THE AUTHOR ON THE TOPIC? WHAT ARE HIS OR HER CREDENTIALS?
 If you can’t tell, google the author. Are they affiliated with a reputable institution, organization, or publication?
On the “About” page, there is a disclaimer stating she is not a doctor/dietician.  
Also, author also admits she is “self taught” and did not go to school to study nutrition.
RELEVANCE
IS THIS SOURCE RELEVANT TO YOUR RESEARCH? HOW? DOES THE “ABOUTNESS” OF THE SOURCE MATCH YOUR INFORMATION NEED?
 Summarize in one or two sentences how this resource helps you answer your research question.
Depends on the topic you are researching. For example, if you are researching kale recipes, it’s a fine source. But if you are looking for accurate information about medical/health-related issues, then this is not a good source.
DOCUMENTATION
HOW IN-DEPTH IS THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE FOUND, AND HOW DOES IT IMPACT YOUR RESEARCH?
 Note if and how the author documents her sources.
Author does not usually cite her information sources. For example, on the post, “Dissecting Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies,” she makes a lot of claims about the source of ingredients but does not show where she is getting this information.
INFORMATION TYPE
WHAT TYPE/GENRE OF INFORMATION IS IT?
 Identify the kind of resource you are evaluating (e.g., News article, magazine article, book chapter) and explain why it is appropriate to use as evidence for this project.
This is a combination blog and informational website. There are advertisements pointing to a lot of her own products (her book, meal planning subscription, etc.). 
It isn’t written by a subject expert, so it wouldn’t be a very academic source to use for a course paper/project.
OBJECTIVITY
DOES THE AUTHOR SEEM TO BE GIVING EQUAL WEIGHT TO BOTH SIDES OF AN ARGUMENT OR ISSUE?  ARE THEY SELLING SOMETHING?
 Cite one example in which you notice the author explaining two sides of an issue. If you can’t find an example, explain why.
No, this author is not objective. For example, when she describes her concerns about Girl Scout cookies, her anti-chemical stance is apparent but she doesn’t present an opposing viewpoint.
Will you use this resource for your research? Explain why or why not?
No, this blog post was not written by a nutritionist or someone with nutrition expertise. . .