Evaluate v. to determine significance or worth by careful appraisal and study.

Evaluating Information

Evaluating sources can be a complicated process. There is plenty of information available that is inaccurate, fraudulent, or biased. So it is important to determine if the sources you find are factual and verifiable.

Items in a library are generally easier to evaluate because they have already been reviewed twice by the time you see them: first, by an editor who verifies that the information is accurate, and then a librarian who determines whether the item is appropriate for the collection. Freely available Web sources usually do not pass through the same scrutiny or review, so you will need to look at these items more closely.

Often times, the type of research you are doing will dictate how thoroughly you need to examine your sources. Therefore, you will probably be less critical of information gathered for your own personal interests than for a paper. As you know, academic research requires accurate and documented sources.

After completing this section, you should be able to:

• evaluate sources of information using the criteria discussed
• become familiar with ethics in the Information Age
• describe when to cite a source
• recognize the different parts of a citation
• realize that you must think critically in a world of information

A Checklist for evaluating print sources of information

To determine if a print source is appropriate for your research, look at the following criteria:

Does the author have expertise to write on this topic?
Determine the expertise of authors by investigating what type of education they have, where they work, and what else they have written. To find this information, you might have to look in several places.

• Use a reference source at your library, such as Who's Who, to find reliable biographical information.

• Use a library catalog or periodical index or database to see if the author has written any other books or articles on the topic.

• Look on the dust jacket or preface of the book to find biographical data.

Is the information in this source up-to-date?
The accuracy of your source may be affected by the date it was published. Some ideas once believed to be true were later disproved by new discoveries. Fields such as medicine or law might require more time-sensitive information than others.

To locate a date and determine whether the information is current enough:

• Print items often have a publication date on the inside cover or title page.

• If the author uses facts or statistics from another source, make sure they are properly cited with the date. You may want to confirm this information in the original source.

• Check the library catalog or a library database to see if there is more recent information.

Does the publisher affect the information in the source?
Publishers may have their own agendas when they choose to publish books and magazines. For example, they may hire authors whose writing reflects the values of the publishing company. Your task is to identify the publisher of the source and determine whether its bias or policies influence the information. To help you decide, consider the following:

• When using a print source such as a magazine or journal article, see if that periodical has a mission statement or is peer reviewed.

• Do paid advertisements take up a significant portion of the source?

What do reviewers say about the source?
Since you can't be knowledgeable about every subject, you may need to rely on the opinions of analysts and experts. These people have read many articles and books in their field and often have practical experience. Though you may not agree with their conclusions, using their experience will help you evaluate your sources. To find reviews and criticism:

• Ask your instructors for their opinions about your choice of sources.

• Ask your librarian to help you identify the most appropriate database or reference source to find reviews.

Is the source appropriate for your research?
You and your instructor are the best people to determine if a source is appropriate for your assignment. Remember that all of your sources should contain well-supported arguments and valid research.

• Check how statistics and facts were collected and to whom they are attributed.

• Determine whether the source is an opinion piece.

• Judge whether the source is popular or scholarly. Make certain that you are using the appropriate type of source for your assignment.

• Bibliographies highlight the sources that influenced the author's work. Use the bibliography at the end of your source to find other related works.

• Consider all the information you have gathered about the author, publisher, and date, and determine whether the source is appropriate for your information needs.

A Checklist for evaluating online information

The more you practice evaluating Web sources the faster and easier it will become. Eventually you will see that it is second nature for you to think critically and scrutinize the source of your information. In the meantime, here's a checklist to assist you in evaluating web-based information.

Is it credible?

• Is the author of the page clearly identified? Do they have the credentials for writing about this topic?

• Is the author affiliated with an organization? If so what is the nature or purpose of this organization?

• Is there a link back to the organization's page or some other way to contact the organization and verify its credibility? (a physical address, phone number, or email address)

• Are the purposes of the page clear?

• Is it geared for a particular audience or level of expertise?

• Is the primary purpose to provide information? To sell a product? To make a political point? To have fun?

• Is the page part of an edited or peer-reviewed publication?

• Does the domain name provide you with clues about the source of the page?

Is it accurate?

• Are there obvious typographical or spelling errors?

• Based on what you already know or have just learned about this subject, does the information seem credible?

• Can factual information be verified?

• Is it a comprehensive resource or does it focus on a narrow range of information? Is it clear about its focus?

• Has the site been evaluated?

Is it timely?

• Is it clear when the information was published? Is it current?

• When was the page last updated?

• If there are links to other Web pages, are they current?

Is it objective?

• Is the source of factual information consistent and stated clearly?

• Does the page display a particular bias? Is it clear and forthcoming about its view of a particular subject?

• If the page contains advertisements, are the ads clearly distinguishable from the content of the information?

Does the site provide details that support the data?

• When facts or statistics are quoted, look to see whether their source is revealed.

• Is there a bibliography or other documentation to corroborate the information?