CL ST 273: Greek and Roman Mythology

Evaluating Sources

Usually, when we talk about evaluating sources, we mean that you should look for signs of quality and credibility: is your source peer reviewed? Do you know who wrote it and where it came from? Is there a clear bias or frame being presented that distorts the facts?

Good news! For this assignment, you can ignore a lot of that. Instead, you'll want to primarily evaluate your source for fit.

Evaluating for fit

For this assignment, the most important thing to keep in mind is whether the retelling you've found fits your need. Things to ask yourself include:

1. Does the source meet the parameters of the assignment? It should be a retelling, and not a summary or analysis.
2. Is there enough here for me to work with and talk about? The source should have some similarities to the original source, but with a different frame or different details that make it fun to dissect.
3. Do I like talking about this source? It's not fun to write a paper about something that bores you. Find a retelling that is interesting or appealing in the way it adapts the source material.