START is:

For each book or article that you find, measure it against the START checklist below.

Scope

• Is your topic covered fully?
• How does the book or article compare to other information you've seen on this topic?
• What aspect of the topic doesn't the book or article cover?

Treatment

• What is the book or article's purpose: To inform, persuade, present opinions, or report research?
• Does the book or article contain documented facts or personal opinion?
• Does it show any bias?
• Does the work list footnotes or cite a bibliography?
• Has the information in the work been transcribed from another source? (If yes, this indicates second-hand information; you might want to check the original source, often given in a footnote.)

Authority

• Who is the author or editor of the book or article?
• Does the author or editor publish the types of publications that you need to write your paper?
• What types of publications do you need to support your argument: Articles for popular magazines and newspapers, textbooks, scholarly books or journals?
• Is the author or editor an expert in the subject you are researching? Has she or he published other works in this area?

Relevance

• Can you use this information to support an argument you make in your paper or project?
• Does the book or article note significant books or articles in your area of research?

Timeliness

• Does the book or article list a publication or copyright date? Is the content up to date?
• If it is important to your topic, does the book or article acknowledge recent innovations in your area of research?
• Regardless of the date, is the information still useful?

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