Evaluating Information
Unit Learning Objectives
- Apply critical evaluation strategies to assess the credibility and reliability of information sources using frameworks such as the SIFT method and lateral reading.
- Analyze the concept of authority by distinguishing between different types (e.g., subject expertise, societal position, personal experience) and evaluating how authority, bias, and context impact source credibility.
- Select appropriate and relevant sources by considering both credibility and alignment with specific research needs, including topic match, source type, and currency.
Unit Overview
This unit focuses on how to critically evaluate information, an essential part of doing solid academic research and making informed decisions. You’ll learn the SIFT method (Stop, Investigate the source, Find better coverage, and Trace claims), a simple way to check a source’s credibility. We’ll cover how to read laterally, spot an author’s authority and possible bias, and understand different kinds of expertise, including academic, societal, and lived experience. You’ll also learn how to judge a source’s relevance by looking at things like how well it fits your topic, when it was published, and what kind of source it is. Together, credibility and relevance help you choose sources that support responsible, thoughtful research.
This unit contains content that may help fulfill the UW-Green Bay Core Curriculum Learning Outcomes for Information Literacy, specifically:
IL 2: Students will critically evaluate sources of information, considering both the expertise and credibility of the creators and the contextual factors that influence the information’s creation, dissemination, and purpose.
Additionally, this content contributes to this learning outcome for First Year Seminars:
FYS 3: Students will critically evaluate information sources in various formats, recognizing the contextual nature of authority and its relation to credibility.
