Evaluating Information

A vital step in the research process is to evaluate and filter the information you gather. There are important criteria to consider when selecting resources for their quality, reliability and relevance to your research. By the end of this section you will be able to critically analyse information resources and understand evaluation criteria.

You should be evaluating all the sources you use in your assignments to ensure relevance (to your topic or assignment), credibility and reliability.

Ask yourself the following types of questions: 

1. Is the information presented accurate? How do you know? 
2. Does the author and source have authority and high impact?
3. What is the objective of the information? Is it to report research findings? Is it to advertise a product? Is it to communicate a political stance?
4. Are there references for the evidence provided? Can you find them? Are they high quality sources? 
5. Has the author written their argument objectively and critically, minimising bias and misrepresentation?
6. Could the author or publication have an alternative agenda? Could this be 'fake news' or propaganda?

Considering criteria such as author and authority, accuracy and completeness, objective, bias, or commercial agendas when evaluating information will help you determine the credibility and reliability of the source. 

Additional resources: 

• For introductory guidance on information evaluation, refer to the 'Evaluate' module in Study Smart. 
• For criteria for evaluating journal articles and web sources you can review the 'Evaluating Information' module in QUT's Advanced Information Research Skills program. 

Source: QUT Library. (n.d.). 3.2. Evaluating information. Advanced Information Research Skills. [Shared under a CC BY-NC-SA licence].