A Guide to Evaluating Information
We are surrounded by a sea of information, from academic library collections to the vast, open web. With so many sources at your fingertips, the most important challenge is determining what's trustworthy. How can you be sure the information you're using is credible? Which sources can you trust?
Know Your Sources: Start with Vetted Sources
Library resources, like academic databases and journals, are your most reliable starting point. Materials found in library databases—such as scholarly articles, newspapers, and official reports—have been professionally evaluated for accuracy and quality by information professionals. You can generally trust these sources to be credible.
Scrutinize Information from the Web
The internet, on the other hand, requires a more critical approach. Since anyone can publish content online, you must carefully evaluate web sources before using them for research or assignments. To determine a source's reliability, consider the following criteria:
- Currency - how old is the information? If it is too old, it may no longer be true or factual.
- Relevance - how important is the information for your needs? Does it really address your topic?
- Authority - where did the information come from? Did the author or creator include their credentials?
- Accuracy - how reliable, truthful, and correct is the information? Can you locate additional resources that confirm or support the information?
- Purpose - why does this information exist? Is it to teach, sell, entertain, or persuade?
If you are uncertain about any of these criteria, feel free to contact the Reference Librarian.
