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Evaluate
Information
Read
information you find from any source with a critical eye! Consider
these points when evaluating books, articles and Web sites:
•
Who?
- Who
wrote it? What ideas is the author trying to promote?
- Does
the author seem to favor one idea over another? Could this affect
the conclusions drawn?
Check:
- that
the author's name is given
- where
the author works - the author's affiliation or credentials
- who
published the article or book
- the
type of journal in which the article is published (hint: most
scholarly research appears in journals that are refereed or
reviewed by peers - sometimes called "peer reviewed"
journals)
- the
reputation of the newspaper in which the article is published
(is it from the Washington Post or the National Enquirer?)
• What?
- Do
the conclusions in the paper seem justified? Does the research
make sense - i.e. if you were conducting this research, would
you feel comfortable drawing the same conclusions based on the
results?
- While
you may not feel qualified to judge research in areas that are
unfamiliar to you, evaluating information involves little more
than being critical of what you read and using a little common
sense.
• Where?
Where's
the information from? (see "Who?")
Check:
- the
type of journal the article is published in or the reputation
of the newspaper
- if
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