MMC NOTEBOOK - NOTE #28: Everything you ever wanted to know about EVALUATING INFORMATION
Every new technology carries a mystique or magic. Books and newspapers did that and still do. If it is in print it must be correct is a widely held belief. Electronic storage and delivery of information and knowledge is also anointing the content because of the novelty, ease and polish which the medium allows. On some parts of the Internet and World Wide Web, much is published without benefit of expertise or editor.
This makes our jobs as information consumers, students and teachers a bit more difficult than in the print world, but similar evaluation criteria are required. Some standard evaluation criteria are difficult for the novice to use because some knowledge about the topic or subject is prerequisite to evaluate new information.
Characteristics of Print and
Electronic Sources
Books, journals, magazines and newspapers are the most common printed
resources. Publication of these usually involves a fairly lengthy process
of writing, editing, reviewing or refereeing, printing and distribution.
Some electronic resources go through a similar process. Print and
electronic resources are often indexed in library catalogs, periodical
indexes and other databases to assist in locating information.
However publishing on the World Wide Web does not necessarily go through the same often rigorous steps. All that is necessary is a word processed file in html format and a willing web server owner on whose computer (web server) one can place the file and register a domain name. Information on the WWW may be found using gateway sets of links prepared by libraries, search engines and other aggregators and individual webpages. Lists of links prepared by librarians and other information or subject specialists are often a better choice than "free-range" web surfing (to mix metaphors.)
Publishers of print materials such as periodical indexes, reference materials and encyclopedias also sell subscription access to these sources for delivery over the Internet, using the WWW and or the Internet telnet protocol. Academic, public and corporate libraries purchase and provide access to these databases to their users because these are known to be credible. Libraries and subject experts also provide bibliographies of other www links which they have reviewed and recommend to their users.
Here at Busse Library we subscribe to many such indexes and databases. They are found on our Periodical Indexes and Other Databases page. Many are only accessible on campus computers. Others have passwords for off campus use which can be requested at the Reference Desk.
We also link to high quality non-subscription databases and other information which you will find on our webpages. These are freely accessible from any computer linked to the web. There are resource pages for specific courses, the pages on the Ready Reference sidebar on all our webpages, and other pages further in our site.
The technology sometimes blurs the difference between web delivered subscription resources which are analogs of printed materials and the less controlled collection of personal, corporate, and advocacy webpages found on a wide variety of server types.
Much of what is found on the WWW using search engines are files prepared by individuals, organizations, and businesses. These may be "soapboxes" of personal opinion or advocacy for a particular point of view. Many are promotion, sales, public relations and corporate information pages. A growing number of journals, magazines and newspapers have web versions of their publications which may be different than the print versions. Other refereed publications exist only on the web.
Evaluation of Print & Electronic
Sources:
No matter what the format (print or electronic), most of the evaluation
criteria is similar.
1. How was the information found? Is it in a library catalog, a link to a course syllabus, or a link from a library or other expert webpage? Is it a library purchased item or electronic database? Is the search engine known to be selective in what it links? The more credible the means of locating an item, the more likely it is acceptable for use in a college assignment.
2. Is a complete citation provided? Standard bibliographic information usually includes: author; periodical, book or website title; date of original publication and any subsequent "reprints"; publisher and place of publication. This is especially important in assessing a non-subscription webpage. Is the person, organization or business which created the page identified. Credible information providers include identification and a means of contact (e-mail, telephone or postal address). Be leery of those which do not.
3. Are the author's/publisher's credentials available and credible? Can you determine this from the source? Is it possible to find information about them from other sources? Did you find the information using the name of a known person or organization?
4. Is the information meant for a general, specialized, student or scholarly audience? Does it indicate this or can it be inferred from source? What is the vocabulary (general or scholarly) and reading level required?
5. Is the information a single opinion or observation or does it include references to other observers (research, theory, opinion) and include citations?
6. Does the information purport to "prove" something? If it does, the writer may not understand scholarship and research. Scholars, researchers, good journalists and other knowledgeable writers know that data and information may support a particular finding or conclusion but this is not necessarily prove anything.
7. How does this information fit into the canon of that discipline, topic or field of study? Background information from a textbook, a subject encyclopedia or review of literature article is a good benchmark for determining this. Just because the creator is identified does not mean that all information is accurate or substantiated. Encyclopedias and other synthesizing sources provide background on which to judge the information you find on the WWW or in a journal article or book.
8. Has the information been editing or reviewed in the publication process? Is it a refereed journal, a general magazine, or a book from a well known publisher? Was the webpage originally a refereed print article or book excerpt? If so, it is probably more credible than an unedited self published book or file on a webpage.
Citing Print and Electronic Resources
The MMC Notebook
series of handouts has a number of guides for students to use in preparing
assignments. Among them are:
Note 26A: Everything
you wanted to know about Citing the World Wide Web - MLA
Note 26B:
Everything you wanted to know about Citing the World Wide Web - APA
Note 15:
Everything you wanted to know about MLA Bibliographic Formatting
Note 19: Everything
you wanted to know about APA Publication Style.
Note 29:
Everything you wanted to know about Citing Biological Literature
Every effort is made to keep the links to the Busse Library Webpage current and relevant to the library's mission. It is your responsibility to evaluate the quality of information found. Some may be outdated, inaccurate or personally offensive. Parents are advised to monitor their children's use of these resources. US Copyright Law applies to materials published and accessed. It is illegal in Iowa to download or purvey child pornography and to commit fraudulent acts over the Internet.
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updated 03 October 2001