2.4 Is it Reliable or Not?
Since anyone can post almost anything online, it is essential to exercise critical judgment and evaluate the sources of information you find using rigorous criteria. You must also ensure that the information is accessible and meets your information needs. You must then find at least two other credible sources that validate this information. This is a rigorous process, but being able to do this is an essential skill in today’s world.
2.4.1 Activity 1 - Analyse digital sources of information
This first activity will give you the opportunity to evaluate three sources of information by activating your prior knowledge. We will then present you with tools that you can use to review your evaluation.
2.4.2 Activity - Criteria to Evaluate a Source
- Now take a look at the criteria grid we suggest to evaluate a source. (Google doc, Word, PDF)
- Based on this information, review the criteria you came up with in the first activity.
- Complete your notes if needed.
Our Analysis
Consult our analysis to check your comprehension. (Google doc, Word, PDF)
2.4.3 What is a reliable source?
Since anyone can post almost anything online, it is essential to exercise critical judgment and evaluate the sources of information you find using rigorous criteria. You must also ensure that the information is accessible and meets your information needs. You must then find at least two other sources that validate this information. This is a rigorous process, but being able to do this is an essential skill in today’s world. It takes vigilance to navigate this world. To do so, you need to consider reliability, relevance, and triangulation.
Reliability
To determine the reliability of a source, you will look at the following elements: the author’s expertise and credibility, the initial source of the information, the year of publication as well as the thoroughness, clarity, objectivity and writing quality of the source.
Relevance
A source will be relevant if it meets your research or information needs and is accessible to you. In addition, it must be validated by two other sources and meet reliability criteria: is the information useful and accurate?
Triangulation
To ensure the information you find is reliable, it is always a good idea to find at least two other sources that confirm it. All three sources should be produced by different authors.
You should also aim to find at least two independent sources; if all three quotes are from the same author(s), triangulation has not been achieved.
Your Turn!
We invite you to put into practice the inquiry process and use the website evaluation criteria to analyse the sources you found for your own research.