Source evaluation

Analyzing written sources Finding useful sources is a very important part of your EPQ, but spending time actually making notes and analysing the sources is equally important. If you read an article, what should you consider about the source?

Assessing internet sources: author, date, domain, expert, more, people, unbiased, work Every day more information appears online. The problem is that this material is of massively varying quantity. If you use a website, what should you consider about the source? Is there an identifiable ___________? Is the author an ___________? Is the author ___________? What does the ____________ name tell you about the organisation? Are there any links to _______ information about the author e.g. is there an “about us” section? What do other _____ say about the author or organisation? Has the ________ been edited? Does the page have a ______ and when was it last updated?

Activity Look at the next slide – do you think this is good evaluation? Why, or why not? The student started by saying: Here is a brief assessment of an article called ‘Kenya: Provide Land for New Refugee Camps’, an article stating that the Kenyan Government should do more to help refugees from Somalia. It is available on the Human Rights Watch website: http://www.hr w.org/news/2011/07/28/kenya-provide-land-new-refugee-camps (Accessed August 2011)

Assessing internet sources: example There is no identifiable author of this article other than the organisation Human Rights Watch. The organisation is well known and in their ‘About Us’ section they state that they are one of the ‘world’s leading independent organisations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights’. The domain suffix .org suggests it is a non-governmental and non-commercial website; in fact it is a charity/pressure group. There is a section on the website with comments from many different government officials from all over the world, praising the work of the organisation and stating they often rely on some of the information gathered by Human Rights Watch. There is no editor named, but as the author is Human Rights Watch generally, there is an assumption it will be edited by the organisation. The information is not impartial as this organisation is dedicated to defending human rights and this particular article contains no direct response from the Kenyan Government. The page is constantly being updated and the article is recent. In general, information on this website is likely to be fairly reliable but the political ideology behind the organisation needs to be taken into consideration.

Homework: forms Arrange your second meeting with your supervisor to discuss: Project Title & Proposal (EPF1): this should be complete! Project Plan (EPF2a): this should be complete! Record & review of teaching and teaching programme (EPF2c): this should have at least two entries (ideally three) Record & review of individual progress (EPF2d): this should have at least one entry Project Record and Meetings with Supervisors (EPF2e): this should have at least one entry Your research so far