Not all information is created equal. Whether the information
source you are using is a printed book or periodical article or
an electronic document you have found on the Internet, the fact
that information has been published does not in itself make it a
valid source. With the enormous amount of information available,
finding relevant information on your topic may not a problem. In
fact, the problem is more likely to be that you will find too
much information. So how do you sift through all of the documents
you find to decide which ones are appropriate for your research?
To some extent, evaluating information is a matter of expertise
in a particular field. It is difficult to judge the validity of
information in a subject about which you know very little.
However, there are some aspects of information sources - whether
those be electronic or in print - that anyone can analyze if you
know what you are looking for. This lesson will introduce you to
some of the criteria you should use to appraise the value of
information. Some of these points should be apparent to any
reader, regardless of his or her knowledge of the subject, while
others assume some additional knowledge or skills.
1. Author
2. Publisher/Institutional
Affiliation
3. Date of Publication or
Last Revision
4. Documentation/References
5. Intended Audience
6. Purpose
7. Writing Style
8. Relevance