Section 10 Evaluating Information Sources

Objectives

On completion of this section you will have:

  • An understanding of the general principles of evaluating sources of information
  • An understanding of the principles of evaluating websites

It is very important to evaluate all of your sources of information to ensure they are appropriate for your assignment. Sources of information include books, journals, magazines, newspapers, conference reports, music scores and a variety of other items.

Use the following guidelines when evaluating sources of information:

Criteria / Questions to ask / Tips
Currency /
  • When was the information written or made available?
/
  • Check the copyright or publication date. Some subjects require the most recent information available; other subjects may be covered adequately in earlier published materials.

Reliability /
  • What are the credentials of the author?
  • Is the author widely published on this subject?
  • Has the author made conclusions using personal opinion, interviews, research, experience?
  • How valid are the conclusions reached?
  • Who published or funded the information / writing?
  • Has the information been reviewed / edited?
  • Is there the possibility of any bias in the writing?
/
  • Check the qualifications of the author by doing a general WWW search.
  • Perform an author search of the journal database for other articles by the same author.
  • Check for sponsor links in the acknowledgements or journal website.
  • Check if the journal is peer-reviewed by looking at author guidelines in the journal website or using Ulrichsweb.

Coverage /
  • Is there sufficient depth to the information presented? Is this source too elementary, too technical, too advanced, or just right for your needs?
  • Has the information been abridged (shortened)?
  • Does the information support other sources or update information already found?
  • Is the reference list / bibliography appropriate?
  • Is the material primary or secondary in nature?
/
  • Check the reference list for scholarly journal citations.
  • Check if the information is from a primary or secondary source. Primary sources are the raw material of the research process e.g. research paper reporting results of a study. Secondary sources are based on primary sources e.g. Literature review reporting on numerous research papers.

Audience /
  • What type of audience is the author addressing?
  • Is the publication aimed at a specialized or a general audience?
/
  • Check the description of the journal or book
  • Check the language. Do you need to be an expert to understand it or is it aimed at a general audience?

Scope /
  • What is the breadth of the article, book, website or other material?
  • Is it a general work that provides an overview of the topic or is it specifically focused on only one aspect of your topic?
  • Does the breadth of the work match your own expectations?
  • Does the resource cover the right time period that you are interested in?
/
  • Check other resources to see if the whole topic is covered or just aspects of the topic
  • Check more updated materials to see if there are more recent developments on the topic.

Accuracy /
  • Is the information verifiable by research, statistics or studies?
  • Are there any obvious errors in the presentation / content?
  • Is the information referenced?
  • Is a reference list / bibliography included?
/
  • Check the methodology used. If no methodology is mentioned, question the validity of the results.

Author credentials /
  • Who is the author?
  • What are the author's credentials on this subject?
  • Is the author qualified to write on this subject?
/
  • Perform a WWW search on the author's name. He/she may have a personal webpage providing a summary of their research and employment history.
  • Perform a database search to find other articles written by the author

Evaluating websites

As noted in earlier modules, anyone can create a web page. As a result, there is a lot of inaccurate material available on the Internet. The checklist above provides general information for evaluting any source of information. However, when evaluating websites, there are some additional criteria that should be considered. The checklist below provides some useful criteria for evaluating websites in particular.

Evaluating Information from a webpage

  1. Accuracy
  • Is the information reliable and error-free?
  • Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information?

Rationale

  1. Anyone can publish anything on the Web.
  2. Unlike traditional print resources, like journals or books, web resources rarely have editors or fact-checkers.
  3. Currently, no web standards exist to ensure accuracy.

II. Authority

  • Is there an author? Is the page signed?
  • Is the author qualified? An expert?
  • Who is the sponsor?
  • Is the sponsor of the page reputable? How reputable?
  • Is there a link to information about the author or the sponsor?
  • If the page includes neither a signature nor indicates a sponsor, is there any other way to determine its origin?
  • Look for a header or footer showing affiliations.
  • Look at the URL.
  • Look at the domain. .edu, .com, .ac.uk, .org, .net

Rationale

  1. Anyone can publish anything on the Web.
  2. It's often hard to determine a web page's authorship.
  3. Even if a page is signed, qualifications aren't usually given.
  4. Sponsorship isn't usually indicated.

III.Objectivity

  • Does the information show a minimum of bias?
  • Is the page designed to sway opinion?
  • Is there any advertising on the page?

Rationale

  1. Frequently the goals of the sponsors/authors aren't clearly stated.
  2. Often the Web serves as a virtual "Hyde Park Corner", a ‘soapbox’, where anyone can have their say about anything.

IV. Currency

  • Is the page dated?
  • If so, when was the last update?
  • How current are the links? Have some expired or moved?

Rationale

  1. Publication or revision dates not always provided.
  2. If a date is provided, this may be for one of various reasons. For example,
  • It may indicate when the material was first written.
  • It may indicate when the material was first placed on the Web.
  • It may indicate when the material was last revised.

V. Coverage

  • What topics are covered?
  • What does this page offer that is not found elsewhere?
  • How in-depth is the material?

Rationale

  1. Web coverage often differs from print coverage.
  2. Frequently, it's difficult to determine the extent of coverage.
  3. Sometimes web information is for entertainment purposes only.

[Adapted from: Beck, S. (1997). Evaluation criteria. The good, the bad & the ugly: or, Why it’s a good idea to evaluate web sources. Retrieved 29 August, 2003 from

Exercise 12

Look at the following webpages and evaluate them. Two of the websites provide false information. Identify them.

The Flat-out Truth: Earth Orbits? Moon Landings? A Fraud!

Aspartame Toxicity Information Center

Diabetes Mellitus - One of Australia's top six health priorities

Need more help in understanding how to evaluate websites?

Look at the library’s online tutorial “Compass”