Who wrote the article or book? Who directed and wrote the film or did the investigative news story? What are the person's qualifications? Who is the intended audience?

What isn't here? What information is cited? What isn't? How complete is the bibliography? If the source is a video or film, who are the authorities and what is their perspective? Is it worth listening to?

Where did the information appear (a magazine, a book, an educational video?)? What is the reputation of the publication or production company? What is its editorial slant? In the case of articles, is this a journal, a trade publication, or a magazine or newspaper? Is the article peer reviewed?

Why did the author write this article or book (why did the director decide to make it)? Why did this publication or production company publish or produce it? Why does this journal or magazine exist?

When was the article, book or film published or produced? Is it current enough for your purpose? If research based, when was the research done? (Research is often performed a two years prior to publication.)

How balanced is the material? How relevant is it to your topic? How much substance is there in relation to fluff or unsubstantiated information?