When doing research, it is important to find information that is reliable and appropriate for your assignment.
Some assignments may require you to use certain types of sources such as primary or secondary sources, or specific types of periodicals such as scholarly journals. Other assignments may require you to limit the number sources you use. Often Internet sources fall into this category.
In all cases, you should always evaluate the information included in your assignments.
Knowing how to evaluate information will help you with research assignments and also with the bigger decisions you make in life.
Knowing how to find relevant, reliable, and accurate, can help you make informed decisions about things like graduate school, a new car purchase, financial aid options, daycare choices, and more.
Used with permission of Lori Micho, Johnson & Wales University Library.
See the "Criteria for Evaluating Sources" on Page 3a for more help with these concepts.
