Evaluating Sources

“Individuals are faced with diverse, abundant information choices… and increasingly, information comes to individuals in unfiltered formats, raising questions about its authenticity, validity, and reliability… The uncertain quality and expanding quantity of information pose large challenges for society. The sheer abundance of information will not in itself create a more informed citizenry without a complementary cluster of abilities necessary to use information effectively.”

Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education,
Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association, Chicago, 2000

“Inquiry involves not only the process of weighing an accumulation of evidence but also resolving information sources that contain contradictory information. The unregulated nature of the Web makes it a haven for non-mainstream points of view that may provide legitimate, alternative perspectives; it may also, however, provide information that is erroneous, biased, or compromised by critical omissions.”

Mark Windschitl, "Independent Student Inquiry: Unlocking the Resources of the World Wide Web",
NASSP Bulletin 82 (Mar. 1998): 93-98.

How can information be evaluated? As a class we will develop and refine our own list. Some suggestions by others follow.

Author What are the author's credentials and background? Publication date Is the date of publication appropriate for your topic? Do you need current or historical information? Publisher Who is responsible for issuing the source? Is it a well-known trade publisher, a university press, an organization, an individual? Scope What is the focus of the source? Does it report original work, synthesize research done by others, provide an introduction to a topic, give comprehensive information? Is it intended for a general audience or for specialists? Objectivity Is the information fact or opinion? Is the author objective? Is the information presented in a balanced manner? Quality Are the ideas clearly presented? Is the source well organized? Is the information valid, well-researched, and documented?		Authority Who is the author? Are his or her credentials stated? Who is the sponsor of the site? Is there an organization affiliated with the site or its author? Can you find out more about their purposes and intent? [Hints: examine the URL - is it .org? .com? .edu?; go up a few levels to learn more about the host organization.] Content What is the scope of this resource? Who is the intended audience? To what extent is the material meant to persuade? Is this clearly stated? Is the page an advertisement or some other kind of promotional material? Are the sources for factual information in the material clearly identified? Can you verify them? Is any bias present? Is the material free of error (typos, spelling, grammar, etc.)? How current is the information? When was the site last updated?
Information Literacy Tutorial, Five Colleges of Ohio, 2000, http://www.denison.edu/ohio5/infolit/c3evaluate/		Sample Evaluation Criteria for Web Sites, Bowling Green State University Library, http://libguides.bgsu.edu/content.php?pid=20648&sid=145634