Information Literacy: Evaluating Sources
- 1. “Elementary, My Dear First Years!”: Selecting & Evaluating Information Sources Dilnavaz Mirza Sharma / 4.23.2015
- 2. "It is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize, out of a number of facts, which are incidental and which vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated.“ Sherlock Holmes Quote The Reigate Puzzle
- 3. Strategies for Selecting Sources • Scholarly or Popular • Primary or Secondary • Timeliness Strategy for Evaluating Sources • Applying the CRAAP test "Data! Data! Data!" he cried impatiently. "I can't make bricks without clay." Sherlock Holmes The Adventure of the Copper Beeches
- 4. Student will be able to: • Select information that satisfies research or information need. • Evaluate information for reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias. • Validate understanding and interpretation of the information through classroom and other discussion formats “… to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” Sherlock Holmes Quote A Scandal in Bohemia Outcomes
- 5. Scholarly or Popular Scholarly work is … • Written by experts for experts • Based on original research or intellectual inquiry • Provides citations for all sources used • Usually peer reviewed prior to publication • Typically longer: 10-30 pages “ … The distinction is clear.” Sherlock Holmes Quote A Scandal in Bohemia Popular work is … • Written by a journalist or member of the general public • About general interest stories which may refer to research but do not contain original research • Likely to not have citations • Not peer-reviewed • Usually shorter: 200 words to a few pages
- 6. Primary or Secondary A Primary Source is … • A first-hand account of an event or a period in time • Written during the event or not too long after it has occurred • Factual report, not interpretive Examples • Diaries, journals, newspapers, census data, recorded or transcribed speeches, documentary footage, maps, photographs, published results of clinical trials, conference proceedings A Secondary Source is … • An interpretation of primary sources • Second-hand reports of an event or historic period • Interpretative accounts of original or creative work Examples • Biographies, histories, literary criticism, interpretation of results of several clinical trials, book/art/theater reviews "There is nothing like first-hand evidence.“ Sherlock Holmes Quote A Study in Scarlet
- 7. http://meredithir.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0I0YHfyzQRmMwFD In Class Activity: Primary or Secondary Sources Link:
- 8. Information Time Cycle "It is a capital mistake to theorize before you have all the evidence. It biases the judgment." Sherlock Holmes A Study in Scarlet Information about an event, an issue, or a period in time is produced and published over a length of time. The initial reporting occurs through social media (Twitter, Facebook etc.) and mass media (TV, radio, newspapers). Within days of the initial occurrence, information trickles into multiple information resources to be reported on, analyzed, interpreted, and studied.
- 9. 22, March 2014 Guinea reports 59 confirmed dead from Ebola Example of an Information Timeline: 2014 Ebola Epidemic Internet : Twitter: #Ebola in #Guinea Radio: NPR - “Ebola Breaks Out In West Africa For The First Time” TV: NBC, CNN, Reuters Day/Soon After Newspaper : NYT – “Ebola, Killing Scores in Guinea, Threatens Nearby Nations” Weeks Later Months Later Scholarly Journal: The New England Journal of Medicine – “Emergence of Zaire Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea” Year(s) Later Books “Good old Watson! You are the one fixed point in a changing age.” Sherlock Holmes The Last Bow
- 10. The CRAAP Method C R A A P Currency Relevancy Authority Accuracy Point of View/bias “I never guess. It is a shocking habit,—destructive to the logical faculty.” Sherlock Holmes The Sign of Four
- 11. Currency: The timeliness of the information • When was the information published or posted? • Has the information been revised or updated? • Does your topic require current information, or will older sources work as well? • Are the links functional? "My mind," he said, "rebels at stagnation.” Sherlock Holmes The Sign of Four
- 12. Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs • Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? • Who is the intended audience? • Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)? • Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use? “Having gathered these facts, Watson, I smoked several pipes over them, trying to separate those which were crucial from others which were merely incidental.” Sherlock Holmes The Crooked Man
- 13. Authority: The source of the information. • What are the academic credentials of the author? • Are these relevant to information presented? • Is the institutional affiliation offered? • What else has he/she written? • Site Domain Check: .edu – Only issued to US affiliated institutions of higher education .gov – Only used by government entities in the United States .org – Commonly used by schools, open-source projects, non-profit entities .net - For organizations with networking technologies .com – For commercial organizations “It's a wicked world, and when a clever man turns his brain to crime it is the worst of all.” Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
- 14. Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content • Where does the information come from? • Is the information supported by evidence? • Has the information been reviewed or refereed? • Can you verify any of the information in another source or from personal knowledge? • Does the language or tone seem unbiased and free of emotion? • Are there spelling, grammatical or typographical errors? “It is cocaine,' he said, 'a seven-per-cent solution. Would you like to try it?” Sherlock Holmes The Sign of Four
- 15. Point of View/Bias: specific opinions that inform the resource • Does the source convey a particular opinion or position? • Is the source attempting to persuade you or sell you something? • Is the source part of a larger publication? • If so, what is the mission or purpose of that publication? • Are the author's sources clearly cited? If so, what kinds of sources did they cite? “The emotional qualities are antagonistic to clear reasoning.” Sherlock Holmes The Sign of Four
- 16. Homework /Assessment Activity Access and read the source assigned to you/your team. Use the CRAAP method and the other evaluation strategies discussed in class today to assess if the source assigned to your team is suitable for use in an academic paper. Source #1: “Disruptions: Minecraft, an Obsession and an Educational Tool” URL: http://tinyurl.com/ow3lpa5 Source #2: “Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors and Health- Related Quality of Life in Adolescents” URL: http://tinyurl.com/lroax4o Source #3: “The Impact of Video Games” URL: http://tinyurl.com/ked3lk9 Source #4: “California Ban on Violent Videogames Violates First Amendment” URL: http://tinyurl.com/39kva8d
- 18. Works Cited Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) Library. City University of New York, 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. Doyle, Arthur C, and Christopher Morley. The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday & Co, 1930. Print. University of Washington Libraries. U of Washington, 2015. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.