Listed below are high-quality websites useful for a variety of HVACR topics, but there are many others you can find on your own. Remember there are many specialized search tools you can use and also remember to carefully evaluate any information you find on the web.
When we evaluate sources, we are looking for sources of information that useful and appropriate to our purpose
The tabs below have some questions that can help us think about how useful and appropriate a source is. Or, for more information, check out our Evaluating Sources page.
Books, articles, videos, images, and websites are all designed with an audience (or multiple audiences) in mind. Some common audience types include: the general public, students (K-12, college), the trades and practitioners (hospitality, health & human services), academics, and the scientific community.
When evaluating the audience of a source, consider your own research assignment and your intended audience.
Why is this important? Authors often tailor a publication to the intended audience, which means you can learn a lot about the purpose and intent behind the publication.
Authors gain authority in various ways. For example, the author of a scholarly journal article may have subject expertise, while the author of a news article may have extensive experience as an investigative reporter. Authority may also be conferred through institutional affiliation - the school, business, department, or professional organization to which the author belongs. Here, the assumption is that reputable organizations and institutions employ reputable authors.
Authority is highly contextual. In other words, a well-renowned scholar of art history has authority when writing about ancient Egyptian sculpture, but likely lacks authority when speaking about a subject outside of their expertise, such as artificial intelligence or culinary arts.
Why is this important? Establishing credentials is one method for assessing credibility and accuracy of a publication.
General
Currency is particularly important in fields that are rapidly changing, like science, technology, or medicine. Depending on the topic, you may consider historic sources.