3 evaluating information sources-khalid
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The document provides guidelines for evaluating the relevance and reliability of different types of information sources. It advises to skim indexes, introductions, conclusions, headings and bibliographies when evaluating books and articles. For websites, it recommends checking introductions, site maps, and search functions. Factors of reliability include considering the audience, authority and credentials of the author, potential biases, currency of the information, and the scope and depth of coverage. Color-coded post-its can help mark relevance.
3 evaluating information sources-khalid
- 1. Evaluating Information Sources Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood Department of Library & Information Science University of the Punjab Lahore, PAKISTAN 1
- 2. Evaluating information sources for relevance – Book • 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 introduction, summary chapters, and so on. • 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. • Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic. 2
- 3. Evaluating information sources for relevance – Article • 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 for section headings, and read the first and last paragraphs of those sections. • Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic. 3
- 4. Evaluating information sources for relevance – Online • 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. • 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. 4
- 5. Use colour post-it to mark relevance –Red - high relevance –Blue – medium relevance –Yellow – low relevance 5
- 6. Evaluating information sources for reliability • Audience • Authority • Bias • Currency • Scope 6
- 7. Audience • What age group/education level/political affiliation/etc. is the audience? • Is this for a person with in-depth knowledge or a layperson? 7
- 8. Authority • Does the author’s name appear on the Web page? • What are his/her credentials? • Does the author provide contact information? 8
- 9. Bias • Is the source objective? • Could the writer or the organization’s affiliation put a different spin on the information presented? • What is the purpose of the source? 9
- 10. Currency • When was the work published? • When was the work last updated? • How old are the sources or items in the bibliography? • How current is the topic? • If a Web page, do the links work? 10
- 11. Scope • What does/doesn’t the work cover? • Is it an in-depth study (many pages) or superficial (one page)? • Are sources and statistics cited? • If a site, does it offer unique info not found in any other source? 11