‘Analysing the Information’ LT1H02N

Lecture Aims u To discuss the sources of information that are available to students u To introduce the concept of critical analysis. u To provide guidance on how to use the internet for academic research

Lecture Outcomes u You will be able to analyse sources of information u You will be aware of the need for caution when using the internet as a research tool

Overview 1) Sources of Information 2) How to Analyse Sources 3) The Internet as an Academic Source

Sources of Information You will be aware by now that there are a wide range of information sources that you can utilise as a student. You should also be aware that not all sources are of equal use to a student.

Critical Analysis As a student you will be required to analyse information. Analysis needs to be applied to all sources of information that you deal with. This is a skill that you will develop and refine throughout the course of your degree.

How to Analyse Information Critical analysis requires you to interrogate each source you use. This involves asking a number of questions about the information.

Basic Questions The key questions you need to ask are:  who are the authors?  who is the intended audience?  what is its purpose?  is it relevant?  what evidence is it based on?

Authors The ‘author’ can be either an individual(s) or an organisation. What are their credentials? Is the author recognised as an authority in the field? Are they reputable?

Audience What is the target audience for this particular material? Is it aimed at a specialised or general audience? Is it appropriate for a scholarly, academic audience?

Purpose Is the information fact, opinion, advertising or propaganda? Is the piece intended as serious analysis, a general overview, or as humour?

Relevance Is the material still up-to-date? Could you locate more recent data from another source? Will the information be useful for the task you require it for?

Evidence This is the most important element in evaluating the value of an information source. This is because the strength of any argument rests on the evidence that is used to underpin it. Therefore, you will need to evaluate the evidence on which the piece is based. This is a difficult academic skill, and you will become better at it as you advance as a student

Evaluating Evidence What evidence, if any, has the author used to underpin the piece? Is this evidence itself credible? Have a wide and balanced range of sources been consulted?

The Internet The internet has emerged as an important research tool, but it is one that MUST be treated with caution.

What is the Internet? The Internet is not, in itself, a source of information. Instead, it is a tool for accessing information. The actual information is contained in millions of individual web pages.

Web Pages as Sources The internet is a useful research tool, particularly for locating very recent information. It also provides access to a massive range of sources, which reflect different thoughts and opinions. Caution is necessary, however, as there are no filters between the raw data and the audience

The Need for Caution Much of the material available on the internet is unsuitable for academic purposes.  non-academic (too simplistic)  biased  inaccurate or incorrect You need to develop the skills to avoid using such flawed sources

How to Analyse Web Pages You must analyse the content of each individual web site. Apply the same basic principals as you would to any source of information

When to Use the Internet To locate information that is not available through other sources. University staff can direct you towards useful web resources.

When Not to Use the Internet Ask yourself, why are you using the internet as a research tool? Ease of access should not be your only justification for using the internet. The internet should not be used to replace other sources, it should only be used to supplement them.

Conclusions Not all information sources are appropriate for academic research This requires you to carefully analyse every source of information that you come across Particular care must be taken when using the internet as a research tool