Now that you've found the information...

... decide if it's good information. 

How to evaluate the quality of information in five easy steps:

Authority

• Is the author a qualified expert in the field?
• What is her/his occupation, position, education, experience?
• What are her/his credentials?
• Who endorsed or published the information?

Objectivity

• What is the purpose of publication? Does the material inform? Explain? Persuade?
• Are assumptions, personal bias and opinions clearly stated?
• Is information presented in a clear and reasonable fashion?
• Are conclusions supported by facts?
• Is the site supported by advertising or run by a business?
• Is the author affiliated with particular organizations, institutions, or associations?

Accuracy

• What were the author's sources?
• Was the work peer reviewed and/or edited?
• Is the work free of grammatical and typographical errors?
• Do facts and conclusions check out with other reputable sources?

Currency

• When was the work written and published?
• Are the author's sources up-to-date?
• Has the information been updated or revised?
• Is there provision for corrective feedback to the author?

Scope

• Is it clear what topics are covered?
• Are they covered in sufficient depth?
• What is their relevance to your research?

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