How Do You Evaluate Information? Chapter 4 Information Literacy Chapter TopicsEvaluating the ResourceEvaluating AuthorityEvaluating CurrencyEvaluating the ContentEvaluating Multimedia The Big Picture Learning ObjectivesUse a set of criteria to evaluate information and information sources.Identify specific criteria that should be used to evaluate Web pages for credibility and appropriateness. Topic Scenario QuestionsHow will you even begin to sort through the millions of Websites devoted to nutrition?Realizing the contradictory information on nutrition presented on the Internet, how will you determine which information is credible and which is not?How well do you think you will be able to judge which information you find is accurate and that which is inaccurate? Topic Scenario QuestionsDo you think you will be able to successfully select the kinds of resources that will be appropriate to support your information? If so, on what criteria will you base your selection? If not, what do you need to know to make an effective choice?How will you find data that you can translate into information that your patients will understand, knowing that most of your patients have limited backgrounds in health-related topics, especially nutrition? Benefits of Effective Information AnalysisInformation used will be accurate. Decisions will be more appropriate. Your credibility is increased. Evaluating the Resource Elements to be evaluated:How information is publishedTimelinesTypes of publications (how information is communicated) Publication TimelineInfluences of timelineConsiderationsHow important is up-to-the-minute information? (history versus technology example)How important is behind-the scenes information?How can you use both current and progressively older information?What are the best resources for each of these? The Publication Timeline Journals and MagazinesTypes of PublicationsScholarly journalsTrade publicationsPopular magazinesCredibility Factors to Consider AuthorSources of informationArticle review processExamples of each type of publication Primary and secondary sources Credibility Factors to ConsiderAuthorSources of informationArticle review processExamples of each type of publicationPrimary and secondary sources Organization of a Scholarly ArticleAbstractKeywordsIntroductionLiterature ReviewMethodsResultsDiscussionConclusionReferences Evaluating AuthorityThe AuthorSponsorshipExpertiseAcademic background and credentialsWork-related or other experienceLicensure or certificationAffiliationOther publicationsContact information The PublisherUniversity pressTrade pressGovernmental agencyNot-for-profit organizationSpecialized pressAn individual Sponsor or OwnerMeaning of sponsorshipTypes of URLsURL extensionOwner’s reason for presenting the information Evaluating CurrencyPrint Material Time elapsed from writing to publicationAge of referencesDate and edition of a publicationWebsitesDate of most .

1. How Do You Evaluate Information?
Chapter 4
Information Literacy
Chapter TopicsEvaluating the ResourceEvaluating
AuthorityEvaluating CurrencyEvaluating the ContentEvaluating
Multimedia
The Big Picture
Learning ObjectivesUse a set of criteria to evaluate information
and information sources.Identify specific criteria that should be
used to evaluate Web pages for credibility and appropriateness.
Topic Scenario QuestionsHow will you even begin to sort
through the millions of Websites devoted to nutrition?Realizing
the contradictory information on nutrition presented on the
Internet, how will you determine which information is credible
and which is not?How well do you think you will be able to

2. judge which information you find is accurate and that which is
inaccurate?
Topic Scenario QuestionsDo you think you will be able to
successfully select the kinds of resources that will be
appropriate to support your information? If so, on what criteria
will you base your selection? If not, what do you need to know
to make an effective choice?How will you find data that you can
translate into information that your patients will understand,
knowing that most of your patients have limited backgrounds in
health-related topics, especially nutrition?
Benefits of
Effective Information AnalysisInformation used will be
accurate.
Decisions will be more appropriate.
Your credibility is increased.
Evaluating the Resource
Elements to be evaluated:How information is
publishedTimelinesTypes of publications (how information is
communicated)
Publication TimelineInfluences of timelineConsiderationsHow
important is up-to-the-minute information? (history versus
technology example)How important is behind-the scenes

3. information?How can you use both current and progressively
older information?What are the best resources for each of these?
The Publication Timeline
Journals and MagazinesTypes of PublicationsScholarly
journalsTrade publicationsPopular magazinesCredibility Factors
to Consider AuthorSources of informationArticle review
processExamples of each type of publication Primary and
secondary sources
Credibility Factors to ConsiderAuthorSources of
informationArticle review processExamples of each type of
publicationPrimary and secondary sources
Organization of a Scholarly
ArticleAbstractKeywordsIntroductionLiterature
ReviewMethodsResultsDiscussionConclusionReferences
Evaluating AuthorityThe AuthorSponsorshipExpertiseAcademic
background and credentialsWork-related or other
experienceLicensure or certificationAffiliationOther
publicationsContact information

4. The PublisherUniversity pressTrade pressGovernmental
agencyNot-for-profit organizationSpecialized pressAn
individual
Sponsor or OwnerMeaning of sponsorshipTypes of URLsURL
extensionOwner’s reason for presenting the information
Evaluating CurrencyPrint Material Time elapsed from writing to
publicationAge of referencesDate and edition of a
publicationWebsitesDate of most recent revisionWebsite
stability
Evaluating ContentElements to considerIntended
audiencePurpose and scope ObjectivityAccuracy and
verifiabilityOverall quality
Evaluating Multimedia
Use same criteria as for other informationEvaluate the
resource.Evaluate the authority.Evaluate the currency of the
resource and information.Evaluate the content itself.Additional
criteriaFunctionalityUsabilityAccessibility
Chapter SummaryEvaluating ResourcesEvaluating

5. AuthorityEvaluating CurrencyEvaluating the ContentEvaluating
Multimedia