Welcome to this IRSC Adult Education Live Virtual Lesson Diana Lenartiene, Ed. S. moderator/instructor Today’s Topic: Evaluating Sources

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7 Evaluating Information Sources Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood Department of Library & Information Science University of the Punjab

8 Evaluating information sources for relevance – Book Skim its index for your key words, then skim the pages on which those words occur.Skim its index for your key words, then skim the pages on which those words occur. Skim the first and last paragraphs in chapters that use a lot of your key words.Skim the first and last paragraphs in chapters that use a lot of your key words. Skim introduction, summary chapters, and so on.Skim introduction, summary chapters, and so on. Skim the last chapter, especially the first and last two or three pages.Skim the last chapter, especially the first and last two or three pages. If the source is a collection of articles, skim the editor’s introduction.If the source is a collection of articles, skim the editor’s introduction. Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.

9 Evaluating information sources for relevance – Article Read the abstract.Read the abstract. Skim the introduction and conclusion, or if they are not marked by headings, skim the first six or seven paragraphs and the last four or five.Skim the introduction and conclusion, or if they are not marked by headings, skim the first six or seven paragraphs and the last four or five. Skim for section headings, and read the first and last paragraphs of those sections.Skim for section headings, and read the first and last paragraphs of those sections. Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.

10 Evaluating information sources for relevance – Online If it looks like a printed article, follow the steps for a journal article.If it looks like a printed article, follow the steps for a journal article. Skim sections labeled “introduction,” “overview,” “summary,” or the like. If there are none, look for a link labeled “About the Site” or something similar.Skim sections labeled “introduction,” “overview,” “summary,” or the like. If there are none, look for a link labeled “About the Site” or something similar. If the site has a link labeled “Site Map” or “Index,” check it for your key words and skim the referenced pages.If the site has a link labeled “Site Map” or “Index,” check it for your key words and skim the referenced pages. If the site has a “search” resource, type in your key words.If the site has a “search” resource, type in your key words.

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12 AudienceAudience AuthorityAuthority BiasBias CurrencyCurrency ScopeScope Evaluating information sources for reliability

13 Audience What age group/education level/political affiliation/etc. is the audience?What age group/education level/political affiliation/etc. is the audience? Is this for a person with in-depth knowledge or a layperson?Is this for a person with in-depth knowledge or a layperson?

14 Authority Does the author’s name appear on the Web page?Does the author’s name appear on the Web page? What are his/her credentials?What are his/her credentials? Does the author provide contact information?Does the author provide contact information?

15 Bias Is the source objective?Is the source objective? Could the writer or the organization’s affiliation put a different spin on the information presented?Could the writer or the organization’s affiliation put a different spin on the information presented? What is the purpose of the source?What is the purpose of the source?

16 Currency When was the work published?When was the work published? When was the work last updated?When was the work last updated? How old are the sources or items in the bibliography?How old are the sources or items in the bibliography? How current is the topic?How current is the topic? If a Web page, do the links work?If a Web page, do the links work?

17 Scope What does/doesn’t the work cover?What does/doesn’t the work cover? Is it an in-depth study (many pages) or superficial (one page)?Is it an in-depth study (many pages) or superficial (one page)? Are sources and statistics cited?Are sources and statistics cited? If a site, does it offer unique info not found in any other source?If a site, does it offer unique info not found in any other source?

Research EVALUATING SOURCES Primary vs. Secondary Reliability

Definition Source— Where you get information

Is the source from the original time or event that you are researching? Primary SourcePrimary Source Secondary SourceSecondary Source

Is the source from the original time or event that you are researching? YES Primary Sources A document or item from the time being studied.

Is the source from the original time or event that you are researching? YES Primary Sources SpeechesSpeeches LettersLetters JournalsJournals ArtifactsArtifacts Interviews Photographs Newspaper Article

Is the source from the original time or event that you are researching? NO Secondary Source –Cites primary source –Example—book about the Civil War with a quote from the Gettysburg Address

Is the source from the original time or event that you are researching? Primary SourcePrimary Source –Speeches, letters, journals, interviews, photographs, artifacts Secondary SourceSecondary Source –Book, newspaper or magazine article that refers to a primary source

Reliability Definition Is this a reliable source to use to get information?Is this a reliable source to use to get information? Is the information in this magazine credible (believable), or incredible?Is the information in this magazine credible (believable), or incredible? How do we find out?How do we find out?

Reliability Questions to Ask Author / CreatorAuthor / Creator –Who is this person? What are her credentials? Is she qualified to write about this?What are her credentials? Is she qualified to write about this? Do you trust him? What are his biases?Do you trust him? What are his biases?

Reliability Questions to Ask The Writing / InformationThe Writing / Information –Is it accurate? –Does it avoid stereotypes? –Does the author distinguish between theory & fact –Balanced, presenting both sides

Reliability Questions to Ask “Time & Place Rule” (Primary)“Time & Place Rule” (Primary) –How close in time & place to the event? Currency (Secondary Sources)Currency (Secondary Sources) –How old is this source? Has anything happened since it was written that would affect its reliability?

Reliability Questions to Ask AuthorAuthor –Qualified? Trustworthy? Bias? The Information / WritingThe Information / Writing –Accurate, avoid stereotypes, balanced Currency or “Time & Place Rule”Currency or “Time & Place Rule”

30 Thesaurus – to find synonyms or antonyms Atlas – to find maps Index – to find the page number for the information they need in their textbooks or other books and magazines Encyclopedia – to find basic information about a subject Newspaper – to find information about a recent or local event Biography – to find detailed information about a person

31 Where would we look to find each of these? · All about Abraham Lincoln · The weather forecast for tomorrow · States that border the state of New Mexico · The opposite of the word quickly · The water cycle in your science book · The year that Alaska became a state

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33 Sources are written or other materials used to support our writing. There are printed, media and internet sources which are acceptable to use if properly evaluated. The criteria for evaluating all sources is: Audience Authority Bias Currency Scope Checking domains and author’s credibility is important for evaluating web sources.

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