Author/source

1. Who is the author or organisation? Is the author an expert in this field?
2. What is the source of the text? Is it trustworthy?
3. When was it published? Is it recent?
4. Who is the intended audience?
5. What is the author's purpose? Is it a neutral purpose (e.g. to explain or to inform) rather than a more biased purpose (e.g. to persuade)?
   

Evidence

1. How strong is the evidence?
2. Are all the points made by the author supported by evidence?
3. Does the writer avoid making unsupported generalisations?
4. Is there a clear distinction between fact and the author’s opinion?
5. If there are any images or diagrams, are they clear? Do they relate directly to points in the text and support the author’s argument?

Assumptions/ bias

1. Does the writer make any assumptions? Are they valid?
2. Does the writer present a balanced viewpoint? Are other viewpoints considered (e.g. via counter-arguments)?
3. Are the writer's conclusions reasonable in the light of the evidence presented?
4. Is the writer's language neutral? Does the writer use tentative language (e.g. It appears that... This may be caused by...) and avoid the use of emphatic words/phrases (e.g. It is obvious... Clearly... Of course...)?
5. Does the writer avoid using emotional language and dramatic images?