ALSS Session 4 - Evaluating Information Sources.ppt

evaluating informaton sources

1. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Module: Information Literacy Skills (ILS)
Topic: Evaluating Information Sources
Class: ALSS 201
Date: September 2024
Tutor:
Mr Masesane
Landline: 493 1397

2. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Objectives of the lesson
At the end of this session learners should be able to:
•Outlines the needs to evaluate information sources
•Describe criteria used to evaluate information sources
•Evaluate different information sources

3. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
When you do research , you want to find the best information to support
your ideas. Information comes from different of sources, provided by
different minds, by implication you need to make a decision as to which
one(s) to use.
Therefore, it is very crucial to evaluate information you find from different
sources so that you:
• find the most relevant information for your topic or assignment
• ensure the quality and reliability of your research
• find expert views, opinions
• get rid of unreliable ,biased, out-dated and incorrect information
• make sure you get the information your lecturer is looking for.
•get credible information to include when writing your paper.

4. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Evaluation means critically examining something to determine its worth.
In case of an event, to find out how it went, identifying weaknesses and
strengths.
What is to evaluate
Seeking Quality Information
Choosing your research sources is very important because you want to
trust that your information sources will be authoritative, accurate,
objective, current, and reliable to help you write a well-informed
assignment.

5. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Accuracy: Information in your sources should be explained clearly and
supported with evidence.
Coverage: How comprehensive is the coverage of the topic?
Objectivity: An objective source states only the facts and does not try to
persuade its readers, push an agenda, or advocate a cause.
Currency: It's important to choose only the most recent sources,
particularly if you're researching a topic about which new developments
are made every day.
Authority : Seek out sources written by experts in their field, and keep in
mind that many sources are specialized for certain subjects or fields.
Relevance: Is the information source related to your topic and is it
at the appropriate depth and level of your assignment
CRITERIA'S FOR EVALUATING INFORMATION SOURCES

6. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Initial evaluation of Print
Sources

7. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
When you're searching for a source using an online catalog or a
database, you'll encounter some important information about your
source long before you have the book in your hand or the journal article
on your screen. This description usually includes the documentation
information for the source and often includes a summary/abstract of the
work. As you're browsing your sources, there are a few elements you'll
want to keep an eye out for:
Date
When was this source published? We're living in an information age, so
there's no reason to go with stale research.
Author
Who wrote the source? Is it clear what the author's credentials
are?

8. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Publication
Which company published the book you're considering, Which journal
printed the article you're eyeing. What type and quality of work is it known
for publishing?
Summary
Reading a summary of your source may help you to decide whether or not
the source might be a good fit for the answers you're seeking through
research.

9. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Critical Evaluation of Print
Sources

10. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Focus and Scope:
Does the source address your topic in sufficient detail, or does it gloss over
the concepts you were hoping to read more about?
Purpose:
What is the aim of the source? Does it seek to entertain, inform, or
persuade? It's important to consider the source's purpose as well as your
purpose in using it.
Audience and Readability:
Who do you think is the intended audience for this source? Too simple
and elementary, need considerable previous knowledge from its readers
and be full of jargon

11. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Initial evaluation of websites
While a wealth of high-quality information can be found through BIUST
Library catalog and research databases, searching the Internet can often
be useful as well . . . as long as it's done with a little suspicion and a
discerning eye.

12. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
A web address can tell you a lot about a website.

Domain
Government site (.gov), An educational institution site
(.edu), a non-profit site (.org), a commercial site (.com), a
personal site (.net). Domains simply help us to understand the
purpose of the site (like a .com site selling a product) or whether
it's biased (like a .org site supporting a cause).

Personal names: If you notice a person's name or the fact that the site
is hosted by a provider like geocities.com, keep in mind that the
website is likely a personal site that is not supported by a reputable
institution.

13. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
First Impressions
What does the page look like? Is it overly decorated, silly-looking, and
choked with ads, or does it appear to be professionally developed and
maintained?
Behind the Curtain: Just as it's helpful to look at the documentation
information for a print source, considering who and what are behind the
information on a website is important, too.
•Purpose
Can you find a link titled "About Us" or "Our Mission"? These
pages are good places to start when deciding whether the
website contains the kind of information you're looking for and
whether it's biased.

14. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES

Date
Publication dates on websites are just as if not more important than
publication dates on print sources. One of the beauties of the
Internet is that it's an efficient means of providing up-to-date
information, so try to find sources that haven't been neglected.

Author
A website may name its author outright and even provide the
author's credentials. If all you find is a name, do a new search to see if
you can learn anything about the author's expertise. Always
remember that anyone can publish on the web.

15. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
Critical evaluation of
websites
Evaluating the information provided by a website is a lot like
evaluating the information provided by a print source. You'll
want to consider the source's focus, scope, purpose, audience
and readability.

16. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
In addition, however, you'll want to ask yourself these questions:
•Is this website as good as, if not better than my print sources?
•Does it provide something important that I can't get from any of my print
sources?
•Do I trust it? (Authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, content)
It is important to remember that there is no oversight committee,
organization, or company that looks at or verifies the truth, reliability,
validity, currency, or quality of the information put on to the Web.
You must be your own editor, publisher, and librarian when you do Web
research.

17. DIRECTORATE OF LIBRARY SERVICES
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