Aurora University
Phillips Library

Evaluating Print and Electronic Resources and Information

“The quality of the information on the Internet is extremely variable, and this problem is compounded by constant addition and deletion of sources and sites… There is no centralized control on the Internet.”
H. E. Auret, “The Future of the Library or the Library of the Future”

Authority

• Who provided the information?
• Are the author’s credentials given, and if so, what are the author’s credentials? Is the author’s contact information provided? What is the author’s reputation as an information provider, and as an authority on the subject? Does the author have a known bias?
• Where was the information published (book, journal, magazine, internet, geographic location)?
• How credible is the source?

Currency

• When was the material written?
• Does the date of publication affect your use of the material? Is the material needed for historical reference? Is it needed for up-to-date information?
• When was the information last updated? If you are using a website, what is the date the website was last updated?

Scope

• Did you find the information using keywords, or subject words?
• Do you need to narrow your search to find more relevant articles? Do you need to broaden your search to find more articles and possible subject terms? Will Boolean searching help? Will a “guided” or “advanced” search help you to develop your topic?
• Are your findings really relevant to your envisioned topic?

Objectivity/Accuracy

• Do the retrieved resources contain proven facts and information?
• Is the information provided by an authoritative agency?
• Does the information contain biases or a hidden argumentative purpose?
• Does the language of the resource try to sway you to a viewpoint, or is the topic objectively presented? Are pros and cons laid out in the resource?
• Is the language emotional or extreme?