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Being able to evaluate sources of information is a very important skill for studying at University but also for everyday life.
Developing the skills needed to critically evaluate pieces of information will ensure that you are using appropriate resources in your assignments. It'll also help you get your head around the growing trend of fake news. This video from Western University gives some great tips on things to look out for.
Pro's and Con's
Whilst at University you will use a wide range of resources including books, journal articles and videos. It is always important to think about what are the pros and cons of each resource before using them. Click on each button for a few things consider.
Pros
Cons
Reliable
Published
Accessible
Often written by experts
Less likely to be biased
Informative
Provides references to inform your research
Time consuming
Can be outdated
More difficult to access than some other resources
Self-published books may be less reliable
Pros
Cons
Easy to access
Informative
Great background information
Provide lots of different resources
Factual
Hard to reference
Do not provide detailed information
Can be biased
Need to check reliability
Pros
Cons
Quick
Easy to access
Informative
Representative of time and place
Tell a story
Can be stereotypical of it’s time
Can be biased
Limited in information it can covey
Need to check provenance (where it came from)
Need to know context
Can be manipulated
Pros
Cons
Informative
Reliable
Published
Peer reviewed
Short and more accessible than books
Provides references to help inform your own research
Written by experts
Answer an academic question
Very specific
Too scholarly
Harder to access
Pros
Cons
Current
Easy to access
Written by experts
Informative
Biased
Limited information
Sensationalist
Not reliable as too current
Pros
Cons
Easy to access
Easy to search/navigate
Informative
Easy to reference
Dedicated reliable, academic websites
Current
Need to question reliability
Anyone can create website
Fake/hoax websites
No review process on most websites
Check domain of website for who has created and why
