EVALUATION OF INFORMATION SOURCES

One should be able to answer the following questions: Why should information and information sources be evaluated? Which criteria should be used to evaluate information and information sources?

Evaluation is meant to assess whether information accessed meets the needs of the reader. There is so much information available, in different formats and from so many different sources. Therefore, each piece of information that is selected must be carefully reviewed to ensure the quality, authority, perspective and balance that best support the research.

AUTHORITY Who is the author/ publisher/source/sponsor? What are the authors credentials/ organisational affiliations? Is the author qualified to write on the topic? Is there contact information, such as publisher or email address?

OBJECTIVITY The clarity and factualness of the content or subject. What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or persuade? Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear? Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda?

Does the point of view appear objective and impartial? Are there political, ideological, cultural, religious, institutional or personal biases? Check a table of contents (or the index) to see if it covers the information you need. Scan the introduction, for more clues to a source's content and purpose Does the site include advertisements or product promotion?

COVERAGE The scope and relevance of the information to your needs. Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Who is the intended audience? Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?

ACCURACY The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content. Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed or refereed? Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge?

Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion? Are there spelling, grammar/ typographical errors? What is the overall purpose of the particular web page and the particular web site? If it is not a scholarly site, is it still an appropriate source for your research? cf the information in the web site to information on the same topic from other sources. Do you see differences, or agreement?

CURRENCY The timeliness of the information. When was the information published or posted? Has the information been revised or updated? Is it a date appropriate for the subject matter? Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well? Are the links functional?

To evaluate a periodical, you must determine if it is suitable for the type of information you need. A scholarly or academic journal has the following characteristics: Is often published by a learned society or professional organization. It usually publishes original research. It is usually published quarterly or monthly rather than weekly.

It is usually a "refereed" journal", which means an independent expert assists the editor in evaluating the Articles submitted for publication-- a process called "peer reviews". Scholarly articles have footnotes and references of works cited-- this is the single most important visual clue.

This unit looked at five key aspects that an information user has to consider when evaluating information. Authority Objectivity Accuracy Currency Coverage/Scope