How to evaluate books

Authority/authorship

• Who is the author and what is their expertise in the subject area?
• Do they have any professional affiliations?
• Is their work experience or education relevant? Are any of their other publications relevant?

Currency/timeliness

• When was it published?
• Is the information still relevant?
• Has the book been updated? Is there a more recent edition?

Coverage/relevance

• Is the book relevant to your topic?
• Does it have the depth you require?
• Review the table of contents and the index to confirm the information you require is covered in the book and to what extent.

Purpose/audience

• What is the author’s motivation?
• Who are the intended readers? The content will vary depending on the book’s targeted audience. It could be very general and introduce the readers to a subject. Conversely, the content could be very specific, aimed at other scholars in the field.

Accuracy/documentation

• Is there a bibliography or list of references?
• Can you identify research data?
• What was the editorial process?
• Is this information reliable?

Objectivity/thoroughness

• What perspectives are given, or ignored?
• Be alert for bias. The author may represent only one side of a topic or argument.

Research provides evidence and drives the conclusions reached by the author.