Information Technology

Evaluate information

Evaluating information involves critically analysing the content, methodology, resources, and context to determine if it is credible, reliable and relevant.

To do this effectively, you need to:

Why do I need to evaluate information?

Developing the ability to evaluate information is a crucial skill for both study and everyday life. The sources you use in assessments, study, and work should be based on evidence and facts, not just opinions or assumptions.

Misleading information

The internet makes it easy for people all over the world to find information in just a few keystrokes. This also makes it easy to spread false or misleading information. Mis-, Dis- and Mal-information can lead to disastrous consequences for individuals and society. It can “pollute” our information environment at many levels: politically, economically, commercially, or simply personally.

Click on the flip cards below to learn more:

 

Misinformation

Misinformation is, by definition, false or misleading information, but generally the mistakes are unintentional.

Disinformation

Disinformation is information that is intentionally created to be misleading. It may be completely fabricated or manipulated in order to mislead.

Malinformation

Malinformation is the publication of private information, with deliberate intent to cause harm. This can include changing the context, date or time of genuine content

For further information on the potential consequences of misinformation and how you can take steps to counter it, check out our Misinformation guide.

Credible sources of information

Studying at university requires you to be able to find, evaluate and use information from credible sources. Credible sources of information provide clear evidence to support their findings, often through references or data. Academic sources, such as peer-reviewed journal articles, are reviewed by experts in the field, ensuring they are credible, rigorous, and up-to-date.

Information sources are generally classified as primary or secondary. Primary sources include original research, interviews, or raw data, while secondary sources interpret or analyse primary data. For more information on the key differences between primary and secondary sources check out the primary and secondary sources guide.

Finding credible sources of information

As you begin to start assignments and research, it can be tricky to find credible sources of information in an online landscape that is the abundant with information.

The following are some helpful ways you can go explore to find credible information.

• Checking your unit Reading List for prescribed materials.
• Exploring the Library by using Library Search to access books, electronic articles, DVDs, and more.
• Check out subject-specific databases, such as ScienceDirect, Scopus and Web of Science, as they provide material for academic content.
• Using search engines like Google Scholar or Google, be mindful these tools may not always offer the most credible resources compared to the Library.

Tools to evaluate information

To help you evaluate sources of information you find for your assessments and research, we have created and curated the following evaluation tools.

Dependability Checklist

The Dependability Checklist 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. 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.

Once you have developed the skills, you won’t need to rely on the checklist. But remember evaluation is a critical thinking skill, not a formula! You may have a good reason to keep a source that has scored lower.

The SIFT Method

The SIFT Method is a simple 4-step method to help you evaluate information that you find on the web. This method, based on fact-checking strategies, helps you to quickly make a decision about whether or not a source is worthy of your attention.

Click on the plus (+) icons below to learn more about the steps in the SIFT method:

Further resources