5. Evaluate your information sources
As a scientist it's critical that the information you're using for assessments, study, and work has a strong evidence base. Part of choosing what information to use is evaluating research quality and dependability. Your ability to evaluate is dependent on identifying credible sources and sifting through inaccurate or misleading information.
With so much information available to us today, the challenge is not finding resources but determining credibility.
Click the plus (+) symbols below to discover the rationale behind why critically appraising information is a key skill.
Activity overview
This interactive activity shows 3 circled icons with selectable buttons underneath that contain the following information about critically appraising information:
1: Quality can vary
Anyone can publish information on the web, so the quality of information that is found online varies greatly.
2: Impact of bias and interpretation
Research bias is when researchers intentionally or unknowingly skew the collection, analysis and reporting of data. This means information can be misleading, excludes relevant data, or can overlook the overall context.
3: Statistical and data errors
Science is grounded in collecting, analysing and reporting data. For any of those steps, errors or incorrect statistical methods can and do occur.
Dependability Checklist
To help you evaluate the information that you find for your assessments, we have created a Dependability Checklist! It can help you make decisions about the dependability, credibility and trustworthiness of the sources you are considering using in your assessments.
The checklist contains ten questions to get you thinking critically about the resource in front of you. Once you have developed the skills, you won’t need to rely on the checklist.
Each question asks for your YES or NO response about a particular feature of your resource. More YES answers result in a higher dependability score.
Note: Evaluation is a critical thinking skill, not a formula! You may have a good reason to keep a source that has scored lower.
SIFT Method Information and Graphics adapted from Chapter 17: The SIFT Method Introduction to College Research
Activity overview
This interactive activity shows 4 circled icons representing the SIFT method. There are selectable buttons underneath that contain the following information about SIFT:
1: Stop
When you initially encounter a source of information and start to read it—stop. Ask yourself whether you know and trust the author, publisher, publication, or website. Don’t read, share, or use the source in your research until you know what it is, and you can verify it is reliable.
2: Investigate the source
Who is the author? Are they an expert in this particular field? Do they have an agenda? Knowing the expertise and agenda of the person who created the source is crucial to your interpretation of the information provided. Do a lateral search on the author to examine their credibility.
3: Find better coverage
See if you can find a better source (e.g. more current primary source) that might include trusted reporting or analysis on the same claim. Examine if the source represents a consensus viewpoints.
4: Trace claims, quotes and media
Can the claims, quotes, and media be traced back to their original sources, and are they representative of the original contexts? The people who inaccurately re-report information could be doing this simply by mistake, or, in some cases, to intentionally mislead us.