Evaluating Sources - CARDIO
CARDIO is a helpful tool for evaluating a source and deciding whether you should use it in your assignment. It uses five criteria in the acronym: Currency, Authority, Relevance, Documentation, Information Type, and Objectivity.
The CARDIO questions are meant to serve as a guide rather than a checklist.
C - Currency
- Is the information up to date?
- How important is currency to your topic?
A - Authority
- Is the author qualified to speak knowledgeably about your topic?
- What are their credentials?
- What can you learn about the author by reading laterally?
R - Relevance
- Does the source help answer your research question?
- Is the information too advanced to understand or too simple for your assignment?
D - Documentation
- How in-depth is the information you have found?
- Is the information supported by quality evidence?
I - Information Type
- What type of information is it?
- Should you use this type of source in your assignment?
O - Objectivity
- How objective is the author?
- Is the information fact based (supported by their documentation) or an opinion?
CARDIO Practice
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CARDIO Practice WorksheetUse this worksheet to guide your information evaluation using the CARDIO test.
Lateral Reading Video
Sample Search - AI Art and Ethics
Let's pretend we're writing a research paper for our college-level composition class on the ethics of using generative artificial intelligence (gAI) in artwork. Choose one of these articles to evaluate using the CARDIO questions above.
Media Ownership
