Evaluating Information

Evaluating information can be challenging. The information you find online can be inaccurate, fraudulent, or biased, so it is important to determine if your sources are factual and trustworthy.

The items you find in the library or through the library's website are usually easier to evaluate because you can be certain they've already been reviewed at least two times. First, an editor verifies that the information is accurate, and then a librarian determines whether the item is appropriate for the collection.

You cannot assume that freely-available online sources have not undergone this same review process, so you will be the one who must review these items carefully and critically to ensure they are trustworthy. 

Consider the criteria listed below when critically evaluating sources:

• Does the information fit your need?
  • Is the information relevant?
  • Is the information complete?
• Is the information high quality?
  • Is the information accurate?
  • Is the information reliable?

The first set of questions may look familiar to you, as they were introduced in Chapter 1. We'll review these in the next few pages, before moving on to talk about how to assess the quality of the information you find.