Bomhold_CH6_Scan.docx

INTRODUCTION Never before has there been so much information available or so many ways to disseminate and retrieve it. Even as you read this, Web sites are being created, books and newspapers are being published, and new ways of storing and retrieving information are being developed. Many have char...

INTRODUCTION Never before has there been so much information available or so many ways to disseminate and retrieve it. Even as you read this, Web sites are being created, books and newspapers are being published, and new ways of storing and retrieving information are being developed. Many have characterized what is happening as "information overload." As someone looking for information, you will need to become familiar with the three types of information and to know not only how to locate infon-nation, but also how to evaluate the information that you locate so that appropriate information is used to address specific information needs. You will find that not all information sources are suitable for your research; nor is all information reliable. THREE TYPES OF INFORMATION SOURCES There are three basic types of information sources and it is important to be aware of their definitions and some common examples of each. Primary sources contain original, first-hand information: original historical and archival materials, such as diaries, joumals, historic images, manuscripts government reports such as census data or other statistical information original research published in scholarly peer-reviewed journals. Secondary sources contain second-hand, non-original information that interprets, reviews, or reports on original sources: textbooks encyclopedias articles in magazines or trade/professional journals (not peer-reviewed). Tertiary sources contain little or no information but point to other sources of information: abstracts, indexes bibliographies concordances. Oble 6.1 Evaluating Information Sources Authoritativeness Author 0 What are the author's education, training, and level of expertise or experience in the field? Look for biographical information, the author's title, employment, position, and institutional affiliation. 0 Are there other works in the same field by this authoff? Check the online catalog and databases on the same o What is the authors reputation or standing among peers? If a journal article, check to see if it is a refereed journal, i.e., the artictes have been subjected to a critical evaluation by one or more expelts in the field. If a signed article in a subject encyclopedia, read the preface to see how authors were selected. 0 If the author is a corporation or an agency, is it one that is well known jn the field? Publisher o Is the publisher welt known in the field? o Are there many works published by this publisher? Check the online catalog to find other books by the publisher. 0 Does a university press publish the source? 0 Is the publisher a professional organization? Generally one can assume that reputable publishers, professional associations, or university presses will publish high quality materials. Comprehensiveness Are all aspects of the subject covered or have obvious facts been omitted? Examine the table of contents of books or peruse the article or Web source. o Does the work update other sources or does it add new information? These questions may be difficult for the novice researcher to answer, but comparing information in one source with that in another may provide some answers. For example, compare the coverage of "black holes" in World Book Encyclopedia with the article on the same topic in McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. o Is the source too elementary, too technical, too advanced, or just right for your needs? o What type of audience is the author addressing? Is the information aimed at a specialized or a general audience? Reliability Objective or Biased Treatment o Do the facts support the author's viewpoint? o Do you detect individual biases in the writing? 0 Does the author use language that is designed to appeal to emotions and prejudices? o What is the authors motive in writing the work? Knowing something about the author's background, training, and other works is useful in determining possible bias. Often this information can be obtained from biographical dictionaries and indexes. The periodical indexes and abstracts might be checked to see if the author has written biased literature or if there has been controversy surrounding his or her publications. o Is the information that is presented fact or opinion? It is not easy to separate fact from opinion. Facts can usually be verified; opinions, though they may be based on factual information, are based on the authors interpretation of facts. Skilled writers can manipulate their opinions so as to make you think their interpretations are facts. Note whether the work is well researched and documented. (continued) Chapter 6: Evaluating Information Sources Authoritativeness Author 0 Is the authors name listed on the page? In many instances Web pages are created by Web masters whose expettise is more in page design than in familiarity with the content of the page. Also beware of anonymity. o Is the author qualified to write on this subject? Are his or her education, training, and/or experience in a field relevant to the topic that is covered? Look on the page for biographical information, such as the authors title or position. o Has the author published in other formats? 0 Is there a way to contact the author? (E-mail or other address provided?) 0 If the author is an organization, is it one that is well known and respected? Comprehensiveness 0 Is this a summary of a topic or does it cover all aspects of the topic? It is not unusual to find postings that are just excerpts or summaries of another work in a printed source. 0 Are there links? ts there a brief description of the page? 0 Does the site offer a selected list of resources in a particular discipline or field or does it claim to offer a complete list? o If a selected list is offered, does the author explain how the list of resources was chosen? o Does the site refer to print and other non-Internet resources or just Internet resources? Reliability o What is the origin of the site? Examine the site by checking the domain in the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or Internet address. The domain name is the last part of the URL The most common domains are "edu" for educational institutions, "gov" for government, "com" for commercial and "org" for organization. Countries outside of the United States use country codes as their domain names: for example, "ca" for Canada, and Aft' for France. Although government and education sites tend to be more reliable, information from commercial sites may also provide valid information. But keep in mind that commercial sites are probably more interested in selling you a product than in providing unbiased information. 0 Does the site describe or provide the results of research or scholarly effort? 0 Can the results be refuted or verified through other means—for example, in other research tools? 0 Is advertising included on the site, and if so, does it affect the contents of the page? 0 Does the page contain pictures, drawings, maps, or statistical tables that enhance its usefulness? 0 Are there obvious signs of poor quality, such as bad grammar, colloquial speech, misspelled words, inflammatory words? 0 Does the site contain propaganda? The Internet, as no other media in history, allows individuals from every walk of life and from throughout the world to put out messages that are designed to persuade and influence others to accept their point of view. You must be able to use your best judgment to distinguish propaganda from truly objective literature. 0 Is this a hoax? Or an urban legend? A hoax is an attempt to trick others into believing that something that is a fake is real. Some hoaxes are humorous, intended as a practical joke. Others are mean spirited, designed to hutt or ridicule. Examples of hoaxes can be found at http://hoaxbusters.org/. Urban legends are stories that are not true but are presented as being factual. They are retold so many times that they have taken on an aura of truth. More information on urban legends can be found at: http://www.snopes.com/. Currency 0 When was the information posted or updated? On Web pages, the date of the last revision is usually at the bottom of the home page, or sometimes on every page o What are the inclusive dates of the information? Chapter 6: Evaluating Information Sources