Evaluate Information
An important part of research is learning how to evaluate the information you find.
Things to Consider
- Does the item meet the requirements of the assignment? (Is it the right length and format?)
- Is the information general interest or scholarly?
- There are five specific areas to consider when evaluating any resource
- Publisher
- Author
- Date
- Quality
- Objectivity
Websites
Websites can be tough to evaluate because it is easy and inexpensive for anyone to create one. Be sure to look into the author's credentials and motivations for publishing their work.
Evaluating Internet Sources (7 minute video from CLIP, closed captioning available)
Five Specific Areas to Consider
Area | Questions | Where to Look |
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Publisher |
All formats:
Specific to websites:
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All formats:
Specific to websites:
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Author |
All formats:
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All formats:
Specific to websites:
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Currency |
All formats:
Specific to websites:
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All formats:
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Content |
All formats
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All formats:
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Objectivity |
All formats:
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All formats:
Specific to websites:
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Test Your Skills
Visit this site: Male Pregnancy
Answer the questions below:
- Publisher: Who sponsors this site? Where are they located?
- Author: When you search for information about these scientists online, what do you find?
- Date: When was the site last updated? What is Mr. Lee's due date?
- Content: Does the website make references to outside sources to back up their claims?
- Objectivity: What is the author's purpose for publishing their work?