Business Information Sources: Four Ws

Who	What	When	Why
Learn about Academic Honesty at Northwest.
Who: Who is the author or company responsible for the content? Personal authors should have education or experience related to the subject of the source. Companies/organizations providing information are credible if they have a respected reputation in the field. If you are unsure of the company's reputation, search for information as outlined in Researching A Company. Tip: If you are researching a product, consult other sources in addition to the company's Web site. A good place to start is Recommended Marketing/Management Databases. Return to top
What: What references or documentation are provided? A bibliography, list of works cited, or sources of the information should be included with the text. Return to top
When: How old is the information? The age of the information should be appropriate for the topic. Current information and statistics should be updated within the past year. Historical sources do not need to be updated unless new data is discovered. Return to top
Why: Why was the information published? Question the reliability of information if the author or sponsor attempts to convince readers to: Adopt a point-of-view. Purchase a product or spend money. Financially support a cause. Return to top