Evaluating the Quality of Information
With the explosive growth of information, one cannot help but wonder how reliable is some of the information that we have access to. Anyone can create a website, therefore, the quality of information can vary widely. Because of the rapid technological advancements, it is often difficult to create standards and guidelines when it comes to evaluating the quality of information. I have written a post on how to analyze information, and I dedicated a couple of sentences on how to evaluate the quality of the information, but now I believe that I need to dedicate a post to the topic. I spent some time on the Toronto Public Library’s website and found some useful information.
Checklist for Evaluating the Quality of Information
- Who put this information on the Internet: Is it easy to figure out who is the author of the information? Is there an About Us page, an author bio, and what do they say? What is the person’s credentials? Is the person viewed as an expert? Where else has the person been published? What is the goal of the website? Based on what you are seeing on the website, does it achieve its goals? Is the website relevant to you? As a rule of thumb, do not use information unless you find similar information by three independent sources. In addition, if you cannot determine the source for the information anywhere on the website, check domain ownership using Whois.com.
- When was it put there? Is there a date on the page: How dated is the information? When was the information first written, and when was it last revised? Do not cite information that is more than five years old, and stay away from information that’s undated. If the information is about technology, or a field that is changing rapidly, you need current information. Today, some types of information are changing substantially every six months or less.
- Is the information meant to be serious, or is it a joke: Make sure that the website is not a spoof, meaning that it’s a hoax or trick. Is it marketing or an advertorial? Are they trying to influence you? The line may be blurred between information and marketing. Once again review the goals of the website, as well as who owns it.
- How do you know where this information comes from: Can you check the information? How complete is the information? Does it appear to be biased? Is there a hypertext link to the original source of the information? If there is a link, is that new page credible? Even if the main webpage is credible, other pages that have been linked to may not be as credible or reliable. Is the webpage a primary source for the information, then how was it gathered? If it’s a secondary source, are there cited references?
- Who is the information meant for: Who is the intended target audience for the information?
- What type of information is it: Is it scientific, professional or amateur level?
These are a lot of questions, and they are meant to get you thinking about the information that you encounter. If you cannot answer the above questions that means that you cannot rely on the accuracy of the information.
Some Sources for Quality Information
- Commercial online databases such as Lexis/Nexis, Factiva, Academic One File, General One File JSTOR, CBCA, Gale Virtual Reference, Biography in Context.
- Universities
- Government
- Peer-reviewed journals
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Author Bio: Avil Beckford, an expert interviewer, entrepreneur and published author is passionate about books and professional development, and that's why she founded The Invisible Mentor and the Virtual Literary World Tour to give you your ideal mentors virtually in the palm of your hands by offering book reviews and book summaries, biographies of wise people and interviews of successful people.
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