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How to Evaluate Information
Evaluating Checklist
http://www.virtualchase.com/quality/checklist_print.html
Basic Evaluation Questions:
Who is the author?
Is the author an authority on the subject?
What are the author’s credentials?
What is the author’s affiliation?
Is the material presented accurately?
Can the information be verified by other sources?
Are the facts consistent?
Is the information backed up by facts, or are conclusions drawn from
opinions?
Is there a bibliography or other reference points?
Is the information current?
When was the last update written?
Does the information concur with the latest information on the subject?
Is the information biased?
Who published the material?
Is the publisher affiliated with a biased organization?
Does the material present only one side of an issue?
What is the purpose of the publication?
Internet Evaluation Questions:
When using Internet sites for research, additional questions must be
asked.
What is the domain of the web page?
Can the domain name be used to verify the information presented on a
web page, and possibly identify any potential bias?
.com = commercial site
.gov = government site
.org = organization site, usually non-profit
.edu = university site
.mil = military site
.net = networked service provider
For whom is the information intended?
Although the information may be accurate, would a web site developed
by an elementary school class be a good source of information for a
research paper?
Is the author listed?
Can the author be contacted?
Even if a specific author is connected with an educational site, can
the information be assumed to be accurate?
In summary, to make sure information cited for a research project is
accurate, current, and relevant, balance each source with another. If
one source has a biased viewpoint, find information to present the other
perspective. Accuracy and validity should be required to include sources
in any research presentation.
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