Chapter 4: Evaluating Resources

Introduction

When you are conducting research, the information that is found should always be evaluated for quality, credibility, and appropriateness. This is an important step in the research process, whether you are using a library or a search engine like Google. Not everything found on the Internet will be reliable, and although library resources are credible, it is possible that they will not be suitable for the topic or the type of assignment. The techniques described in this chapter can be used to decide whether or not a resource is right for you. The information in this chapter is adapted from the Learning Portal, created by College Libraries Ontario and released under a CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED license. More information about each of these techniques can be found by visiting the Learning Portal and looking at the “Research” section. A link to the Learning Portal can be found at the end of this chapter.  Learn more about research and evaluating information in Research Like a Librarian: A How-to Guide. This open resource was created by staff in the Parrott Centre Library, and a link to the handbook can be found in the list of sources at the end of this chapter.

Tips for Evaluating Resources

Evaluate as You Search

Evaluate resources as they are found. This saves time, and it is a good way to practice these evaluation skills. Reviewing the assignment to understand the research question and the types of resources that are needed is also very important at this stage. The practice of filtering search results and evaluating search results go hand in hand. You can learn more about preparing to research in Chapter Two, and more about conducting research in Chapter Three.

Be Aware of Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is “[the] tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with [our] existing beliefs” (Casad & Luebering). It is very easy to focus on information that supports our views, and to ignore contrary information. It can also be very easy to interpret ambiguous information as supporting what we think is true, even when we do not intend to. Because it can be so easy to slip into these habits, it is very important to think critically about what we are searching for, what we are reading, and to think about how we interpret that information.

Be Aware of Filter Bubbles

Filter bubbles are different from confirmation bias, but they have a similar result. It is especially important to be aware of them when using a search engine like Google. Filter bubbles are created by electronic algorithms. They are personalized filters that are based on our search history, the websites we visit, the posts we comment on, or our location. These algorithms can dictate what we see online and what kinds of search results we get, and we are not even this it is happening. The Learning Portal explains the challenges created by filter bubbles:
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“As users, we don’t have much control on what gets into our filter bubble, and more importantly we don’t know what gets edited out by these algorithms. Filter bubbles could feed us an information diet with mostly “information desserts” and not much “information vegetables”. It poses the danger of intellectual isolation where we only see information that reinforces our views, or information that is within our comfort zones. This could potentially hinder our ability to think critically about a topic since algorithms have the power to edit out content which challenges or broadens our worldviews.”

 

How Can I Avoid Filter Bubbles?

The Learning Portal offers some techniques to reduce the effects of filter bubbles:

  • Follow Different Voices: Get a balanced perspective on a topic by looking for different viewpoints. What are different people or groups saying about a topic? This can include looking at websites that cover diverse perspectives, and looking at social media feeds that offer more balanced viewpoints.
  • Go Incognito: Use incognito browsers, regularly delete search histories, and if possible, log out of any social media accounts before searching.
  • Delete Cookies: Browser cookies are files saved into our Internet browsers, and they can determine what we see on a particular website. Deleting cookies in a browser can reduce the effect of filter bubbles.
  • Use the Library: The algorithms that create filter bubbles do not exist within library search software. Instead, the results you see are dictated by the words you use to search, and the filters you apply to your search results.

Practice Lateral and Vertical Reading

Lateral and vertical reading are two related techniques for evaluating information. Vertical reading involves examining a source to figure out how credible it is. It is often used for evaluating news stories, but it can be used to evaluate other types of resources too. Vertical reading includes techniques like examining a website’s About Us page, looking for grammatical or spelling errors in the article, determining the author‘s bias, and checking the sources the author(s) used. Because it is easy to create and fabricate online content, vertical reading works best when paired with lateral reading. While vertical reading involves examining the source itself, lateral reading involves going beyond the source and performing further research on the source, its authors, and the information being presented.

Tips for Reading Laterally and Vertically

The Learning Portal offers four tips for lateral and vertical reading:

  • Investigate the Source: Look at what others are saying about the source or the author – not what the source or author are saying about themselves. One way to find this information is to try searching for the title of the source and the author’s name together.
  • Find the Original Source: Find the original source of the information – where did the author find the information that they are reporting on or writing about? Once you have found the original source, you can work on verifying its credibility.
  • Look for Trusted Sources: If you are evaluating a news resource, like a newspaper article or a news report, use fact-checking sites to see if the story has already been checked. You can also use a search engine or a library search to see if the story has been covered by major news sources.
  • Practice “Click Restraint”: Before clicking on a search result, look closely at the URL; sometimes, the URL can give clues about the legitimacy of a source. It is also useful to look at information snippets about the source.

Use an Evaluation Checklist

There are different checklists that can be used to evaluate resources, including the CRAAP Test, the RADAR Framework, the 5 W Method, and SIFT, also called The Four Moves. Each of these checklists has advantages and disadvantages, and it can be helpful to try several of these on a single resource. You can learn more about these checklists using the links below:

Evaluate journal articles critically

Even articles published in academic journals should be evaluated for credibility and accuracy. Look at the different sections of the article, and critically evaluate the information shared by the authors. If a claim made in a journal article seems extreme, or if it’s at odds with what is widely believed to be true about a topic, try to find other articles that back up or dispute the claims being made. For example, one article may be published about the benefits of an alternative health method. However, consensus from various academic journals may dispute this claim. You can learn more about evaluating journal articles from The Learning Portal.

Evaluating Content

The techniques described so far help us to evaluate resources at a surface level. It is also essential to evaluate the content closely, especially if the resource will be used for an assignment. This includes looking at the purpose of the resource, its content, and at the author of the resource. Below are some criteria to consider, or, you can apply one of the evaluation checklists described above.

Purpose

  • What is the purpose of the resource? Is it meant to inform, entertain, or to sell a product?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Are there advertisements?
  • Is it scholarly or popular?

Author

  • Who is responsible for the content? Was it written by one person, an organization, or a group?
  • What are the author’s qualifications?
  • What organization is the author affiliated with?
  • If the author is affiliated with an organization, what type of organization is this? Is it academic, a government agency or department, a commercial business, or is it personal?
  • Who published the resource? Is it published or sponsored by a professional society or a university academic department, or was it published by another organization that might have a different agenda?

Content

  • Is the topic of the resources narrowly focused and explored in-depth?
  • Is the content of the resource based on either original research or authorities in the field, instead of personal opinion?
  • Is the resource intended for readers with some prior knowledge of the subject?
  • For articles, is the article divided into sections with headings such as introduction, background, methods, discussion, literature review, results, and conclusion?

What’s Next?

Once you have determined that a source is appropriate and credible, the information can be included in an essay or assignment. To include information from a source in an essay or assignment, it must be cited. You can learn more about citing sources correctly in Chapter Six.

The next chapter explains how each part of an assignment should be formatted, including title pages and reference lists.

 


Sources

Casad, B. J., & Luebering, J.E. (2023, August 18). Confirmation bias. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/confirmation-bias Retrieved on September 8, 2023.

College Libraries Ontario. (2023). Evaluate your resources. The Learning Portal. https://tlp-lpa.ca/research/evaluate-for-quality

College Libraries Ontario. (2023). Filter bubbles. The Learning Portal. https://tlp-lpa.ca/research/evaluate-for-quality

Dupuis, J. (2023). Research like a librarian: A how-to guide. Parrott Centre Library, Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology. https://loyalistcollege.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/delivery/01LOYALIST_INST:01LOYALIST/1269747200005116

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