Research Skills Tutorial

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Contents of this Module:

Learning Outcomes
Introduction
Critical Evaluation of Print Information
Critical Evaluation of Internet Resources
Conclusion

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, students should be able to evaluate information critically, using seven criteria:

1. Determine the intended audience for a piece of information.
2. Determine the author’s intended purpose of publishing the information.
3. Determine the accuracy of the information.
4. Determine the authority of the author, publisher or sponsor.
5. Determine the objectivity of the content.
6. Determine the currency of the information.
7. Determine the coverage or scope of the information.

Introduction

We are living in the Information Age, which means that we are inundated daily with enormous amounts of information from many sources, in many forms. Those individuals who are able to distinguish valuable information, appropriate to their needs, are the "information literate." Information literacy requires the critical evaluation of information. There are seven basic criteria for evaluating an information resource: audience, purpose, accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency and coverage. All seven criteria apply to information in any format. However, because the specifics may vary by format, we will separate our discussion into print resources and Internet resources.

Critical Evaluation of Print Resources

Audience:

Who is the intended audience? Children, teenagers, adults? General audience, professionals, students, researchers? Members of a certain group or proponents of a certain viewpoint? Is the language used in the piece appropriate to your level of understanding?

Purpose:

What is the purpose behind publishing this information? To inform, to persuade, to express an opinion, to advertise? Does the purpose match your information need?

Accuracy:

How reliable, complete and error-free is the information? Does the publisher employ editors, reviewers and/or fact checkers? Are the author’s sources listed?

Authority:

Who is the author or publisher? What credentials or experience does the author have? Has the author published other pieces on this subject? Is the publisher a commercial press, a university press, a government agency? What is the publisher’s reputation?

Objectivity:

Is any bias evident? Does the author present the information objectively, from various points of view? Or, does the author write with bias, from a particular point of view? Does the author or publisher have any known affiliation which would indicate a specific agenda or bias? To what extent does the information attempt to persuade or sway the audience? Does the information include vague statements, generalizations, stereotypes or emotional appeal?

Currency:

Is the publication date easily found? Is the information up-to-date? Is a newer edition available?

Coverage:

Does the information present an overview or a detailed discussion? Is the information comprehensive? What topics are included? What time periods are covered by the information?

Critical Evaluation of Internet Resources

The Internet provides access to a staggering amount of information, but how much of it is useful or appropriate for a research project? The researcher should aim to be a "smart consumer" when using the Internet for research, as the Internet does not replace resources owned or accessed through the University Libraries. The following critical evaluation criteria can help the researcher select valuable Internet resources:

Audience:

Who is the intended audience for the Web site? Children, teenagers, adults? General audience, professionals, students, researchers? Members of a certain group or proponents of a certain viewpoint? Try to determine what audience the maker of the Web site is trying to reach.

Purpose:

Why has this web site been created? To sell, to advertise, to inform, to persuade? The purpose of a web site may not be stated clearly and directly.

Authority:

• Who created the particular page and sponsored the Web site?
• Is there a link to a homepage? If so, is it for an individual or an organization?
• What credentials or experience does the author have? (occupation, education, experience) Credentials can be verified using college directories, search engines, Who’s Who, and other biographical sources.
• Does the author have other publications on this subject?
• Is there contact information? (e-mail address, physical address or institution)
• Is there a sponsor for the Web site? What is the sponsor’s reputation?

Check the address for clues as to the type of organization:

Objectivity:

• Is any bias evident? Does the author present the information objectively, from various points of view, or from one particular point of view?
• Does the author or sponsor have any known affiliation which would indicate a specific agenda or bias?
• To what extent does the information attempt to persuade or sway the audience?
• Does the information include vague statements, generalizations, stereotypes or emotional appeal?

Accuracy:

Web sites are rarely reviewed, refereed, or verified by an editor or fact checker, as are books and articles in scholarly journals (see What is a Scholarly Journal?). Remember, anyone can publish anything on the World Wide Web.

• Is the original source of information stated?
• When was the information originally created?
• When was the information last revised or edited? How much of the information was revised?
• Are the hyperlinks from the Web page still reliable?
• Is the document free of spelling, grammatical, and typographical errors?
• If possible, you may want to check some facts or quotes against the cited sources.

Currency:

Dates are not always included on web pages. Does the source indicate the date of the original? If present, web page dates may indicate:

• the date the information was created
• the date the information was mounted on the Web
• the date the information was last revised

Coverage:

• Does the Web site present an overview or a detailed discussion?
• Is the information comprehensive?
• What topics are included?
• What time periods are covered by the information?
• Are the hyperlinks from the site relevant and appropriate? Are they annotated? (Evaluate each linked site independently; the quality of pages may vary, even when linked from the same site.)
• What other kinds of sources are cited?

Conclusion

• Be sure you have all the information you need for your reference list. (See "Citing Electronic Publications in APA/MLA Format.")
• If you spend 30 minutes searching the Web without finding the information you need, talk to a Librarian. S/he may be able to help you with your search strategy or know where to find the information quickly in another source.

Go to Module 7