Information Evaluation (a celebration??):
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Author: Who wrote it? Why should you believe them? Who are they associated with? Do they offer a bibliography?
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Date: How timely is this source? Is it out of date?
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Edition or revision: Is this the most current edition or revision?
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Intended Audience: General? Scholars? Too general? Too technical?
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Objectivity: Is it objective? Is there a bias?
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Coverage: How in-depth does it go? Does it have all the information you need? How does it compare to other sources?
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Style of writing: Is it informal? Formal?
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Evaluative Reviews: Are there any reviews?
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Quick Website Tip: Check URL. Is it a .gov? .edu? .com? .org? Does it look like a personal or professional URL?
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This site is a great page for information on how to evaluate information!
You can use these questions to evaluate any source of information (book, journal, website, etc.).
- Tutorial from CLIP(Cooperative Library Instruction Project). Click on the picture to begin Tutorial.
An example of how you might use Information Evaluation skills on the job: CIA Tradecraft Primer
What is the difference between Scholarly Journals and Popular Journals??
Scholarly Journals Vs. Popular Magazines
Scholarly Journals
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Popular Journals
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| Articles written by people with masters degrees or PhD's in the field |
Articles written by staff or freelance journalists |
| Articles peer reviewed |
Articles reviewed by editor |
| Includes: bibliography, author name, academic credentials (in most cases) |
Doesn't always include bibliography |
| Articles geared towards others in the field or doing research |
Articles geared towards general audience |
| Uses technical terms |
Uses layman's terms |
| Graphics used to support article |
Glossy graphics used to grab reader's attention |
| Articles tend to be long |
Articles tend to be short |
What is the difference between the Internet and Databases??
Internet
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Databases
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| Anyone can publish anything on the web. |
Provide information that has been published in journals, magazines, or newspapers. |
| Unreliable information: You have to verify the authority all the time |
Offers peer reviewed materials. |
| Limited access to copyrighted information |
Stable: sources are more stable (as long as subscriptions are kept up) |
| Unstable: links change, websites are deleted, etc |
Limiters - Peer Reviewed, Academic Journals, Item Type, Date, etc. |
| Free service |
Paid Service (but free to you as students!) |
- Tutorial from CLIP(Cooperative Library Instruction Project). Click on the picture to begin Tutorial.
Good Resources about Website Evaluation:
Use the folders on the right OR these links below to navigate:
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