1. 1 Evaluating Information Sources Prof. Dr. Khalid Mahmood Department of Library & Information Science University of the Punjab

2. 2 Evaluating information sources for relevance – Book Skim its index for your key words, then skim the pages on which those words occur.Skim its index for your key words, then skim the pages on which those words occur. Skim the first and last paragraphs in chapters that use a lot of your key words.Skim the first and last paragraphs in chapters that use a lot of your key words. Skim introduction, summary chapters, and so on.Skim introduction, summary chapters, and so on. Skim the last chapter, especially the first and last two or three pages.Skim the last chapter, especially the first and last two or three pages. If the source is a collection of articles, skim the editors introduction.If the source is a collection of articles, skim the editors introduction. Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.

3. 3 Evaluating information sources for relevance – Article Read the abstract.Read the abstract. Skim the introduction and conclusion, or if they are not marked by headings, skim the first six or seven paragraphs and the last four or five.Skim the introduction and conclusion, or if they are not marked by headings, skim the first six or seven paragraphs and the last four or five. Skim for section headings, and read the first and last paragraphs of those sections.Skim for section headings, and read the first and last paragraphs of those sections. Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.Check the bibliography for titles relevant to your topic.

4. 4 Evaluating information sources for relevance – Online If it looks like a printed article, follow the steps for a journal article.If it looks like a printed article, follow the steps for a journal article. Skim sections labeled introduction, overview, summary, or the like. If there are none, look for a link labeled About the Site or something similar.Skim sections labeled introduction, overview, summary, or the like. If there are none, look for a link labeled About the Site or something similar. If the site has a link labeled Site Map or Index, check it for your key words and skim the referenced pages.If the site has a link labeled Site Map or Index, check it for your key words and skim the referenced pages. If the site has a search resource, type in your key words.If the site has a search resource, type in your key words.

5. 5 Use colour post-its to mark relevance –Red - high relevance –Blue – medium relevance –Yellow – low relevance

6. 6 AudienceAudience AuthorityAuthority BiasBias CurrencyCurrency ScopeScope Evaluating information sources for reliability

7. 7 Audience What age group/education level/political affiliation/etc. is the audience?What age group/education level/political affiliation/etc. is the audience? Is this for a person with in-depth knowledge or a layperson?Is this for a person with in-depth knowledge or a layperson?

8. 8 Authority Does the authors name appear on the Web page?Does the authors name appear on the Web page? What are his/her credentials?What are his/her credentials? Does the author provide contact information?Does the author provide contact information?

9. 9 Bias Is the source objective?Is the source objective? Could the writer or the organizations affiliation put a different spin on the information presented?Could the writer or the organizations affiliation put a different spin on the information presented? What is the purpose of the source?What is the purpose of the source?

10. 10 Currency When was the work published?When was the work published? When was the work last updated?When was the work last updated? How old are the sources or items in the bibliography?How old are the sources or items in the bibliography? How current is the topic?How current is the topic? If a Web page, do the links work?If a Web page, do the links work?

11. 11 Scope What does/doesnt the work cover?What does/doesnt the work cover? Is it an in-depth study (many pages) or superficial (one page)?Is it an in-depth study (many pages) or superficial (one page)? Are sources and statistics cited?Are sources and statistics cited? If a site, does it offer unique info not found in any other source?If a site, does it offer unique info not found in any other source?