Unit 8: Evaluating Books & Articles

Lesson 7: Publisher


Consider the publisher responsible for the book or article you have found. Ask yourself the following questions to determine the credibility of the publisher.

1. What kind of press is it? A good rule of thumb is to look for resources published by university presses, which generally are scholarly and reliable. To learn how to distinguish between the various types of presses or publishers, and determine their reliability, review the list of major types of publishers on the next page.
2. Is the publisher biased? Some publishers have biases that affect what they publish. Review the publisher’s editorial policy. Is the work published by an organization with a political or social agenda? Are the manuscripts—unpublished articles and books—peer reviewed before publication? Peer reviewed publications are more reliable than non-peer reviewed sources.
   

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