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As you do research, it is important to know what types of information are available for you to use and how to determine when is the best time to use them. For example, if you are looking for a broad overview of a topic or background information, using an encyclopedia or book might be better than an article because articles tend to be shorter and focus on a narrower aspect of a topic. On the other hand, if you are looking for the most current information on a topic, using articles might be a better choice since articles are published faster than encyclopedias or books. Or, if you're looking for current popular trends, then perhaps websites or social media would be a better choice.
To help guide you on what type of information to use, here's a handout of the most common types of published information sources. Page two of this handout also has a rubric to guide you on evaluating information that will help you determine if your information source is appropriate to use for your assignment. So, if you ever wondered if you can or should use an article, book, website, etc., that you found, then this is the handout for you!
No matter what type of information you choose to use, it is essential for you to evaluate the information you have found, especially if the information you found did not go through a formal editorial process before publishing, such as free websites or on social media sites.
There are several different methods that you can use to help guide you on the evaluation process. All of these methods will help guide you through three simple steps to evaluate different types of information:
1. Know who or what (e.g. institution, organization, company, etc.) is giving you the information.
2. Read / watch / listen to the information with a critical mind.
3. Verify the information.
Types of Information Sources & Evaluation Rubric for scholarly sources - this is the same handout I recommended in the first section. It's worth repeating!
