Topic 4 Strategies to evaluate information critically and adapt searches
When obtaining information in digital form using tools for Internet searching, it is crucial to evaluate information and its source. Since there is no organization or editorial process that oversees the Internet to ensure accuracy, objectivity, or currency, it is especially important to evaluate information on the Internet.
Watch the following video course from University of Sydney for a deeper understanding in the evaluation of information.
Internet search cannot ensure that the information obtained will be accurate, consistent and unbiased and will provide answers to the questions asked. A strategy needs to be employed in advance that will ensure that certain criteria are met.
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content.
- Where does the information come from?
- Are there other sources that verify the information? Is it supported by evidence?
- Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
- Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion?
Authority: The source of the information
- Who is the author/ publisher / source/ sponsor? What are their credentials?
- Are they experts in the field of information you are researching?
- Is there contact information, such as a publisher or email address?
- Is the information part of the main web page or is it a separate document?
Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?
.com, .net & .org = commercial and organizational
.edu = educational institutions
.gov = government
.mil = military
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs
- Are all sides of a question presented? Are there limitations?
- Is the information at an appropriate level (not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
- Is the information designed for a specific audience? Who is the intended audience? Is the information relevant to your information need? Can you use it?
- If you are using a book, does it have a table of contents, a preface, an introduction, an index, and a bibliography?
Currency: The timeliness of the information
- What is the date of information? Has it been updated?
- Is currency important for your subject or will older sources work as well?
- Is the information outdated?
- Are the links functional for online information?
Purpose: The reason the information exists.
- What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, persuade, or entertain?
- What are the opinions of the author? Can you find them?
- 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?
(Source: https://www.hartnell.edu/library/infolit/evaluate-information.html)
Currency: The timeliness of the information
- What is the date of information? Has it been updated?
- Is currency important for your subject or will older sources work as well?
- Is the information outdated?
- Are the links functional for online information?
Purpose: The reason the information exists.
- What is the purpose of the information? Is it to inform, teach, sell, persuade, or entertain?
- What are the opinions of the author? Can you find them?
- 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?
(Source: https://www.hartnell.edu/library/infolit/evaluate-information.html)
Think of an occasion that during teaching you assigned a task to your students to obtain information using the Internet about a certain subject. How did your students evaluate the information?
Think of the type of questions you may ask when making an initial evaluation of information.
- What is the source about? How relevant is to your context?
- Who is the author and are they subject experts?
- When was the material published? Is that significant to you? Has the information been superseded?
- What evidence is provided? Are there references that you could follow up to check any claims made?
(Source: https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1401/academic_skills/105/critical_thinking/4)
A checklist introducing the main criteria that can help determine whether or not you feel confident to use a piece of information.
Evaluating information checklist
(evaluation_checklist.pdf)
When you are analyzing information, ask yourself questions. You could also use the phrase: ‘For example, why and so what?’ to help with your questioning.
For example, say you were thinking about the problems caused by high student fees. Start with the topic and ask yourself: ‘Can I think of any examples?’
Basic idea: High student fees.
- For example: Course costs are as high as $8,000 a year.
- Why: More students want to study, so there is less tax money per student for higher education.
- So what? Poorer students might be put off studying.
Now take each new idea and apply ‘for example, why and so what’ to it. This will lead to more ideas, which you can apply the same technique to.
Remember to look at opposing views. In the example above you might consider reasons why students should pay their own way.
Think of a subject that you want to search for information. Try to use the strategy as described above.
When performing an Internet search the result is a large volume of information which is not always very useful and needs to be examined thoroughly before used for any application. Accuracy, authority, relevance, currency and purpose are important criteria to evaluate the obtained information and help organize a search strategy.