Information Literacy-  Know Your Source

Definition

Information literacy-- knowing how to find information, evaluate it, and use it effectively.

Resource

For Colorado's Information Literacy Rubrics go to: http://www.cde.state.co.us/litstandards/download/InfoLit_Brochure.pdf  

Information Sources

Books (hardback, paperback, electronic)

Journals (scholarly, trade, popular)

Newspapers

Reports

Databases

Internet sites

Media (videos, CD-ROM, television broadcasts, etc.)

Check Wells College Library's site for in depth information on "How to Critically Analyze Information Sources". http://www.wells.edu/library/skill26.htm

Primary Sources

Autobiographies, interviews, journals, research reports, photographs, letters, telegrams, and oral history accounts.

Go to View Primary Source Material for more information http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jmargeru/websense/primary.html

An excellent web site for Colorado History primary source materials is Denver Public Library's Western History Photographs at http://photoswest.org/

Secondary Sources:

Books and journal articles "about" a subject, biographies, and editorials.

For more information on secondary sources visit the Bowling Green State University, Library User Education Web page at: http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/lue/primary.html

Books

Reference Material
Government, Association, or Organization Press
Scholarly Press
Popular Press
Self published

Journals

Scholarly Journals

Publications of a organization -- Title often begins with "Journal of…", "Bulletin of…:; or ends with "…Review"
Articles are written by professionals and researchers

Trade Journals

Publications of a specific industry, trade, or profession
Articles are written by people in the profession
May contain ads specific to the industry, trade, or profession

Popular Journals

Articles are usually written by journalists, not specialists
Journals contain ads

Quick Guide to Evaluating Book and Journal Sources

Identify where the information was found
--An index
--A review
--A reference (footnote) in a publication
--A book from a local book store

The type of source:
--Scholarly (probably primary sources)
--Governmental (probably primary sources)
--Popular (probably secondary sources)

The author's or producer's qualifications to write on the subject:
--Education (education relates to writing)
--Experience (experience relates to writing)
--Occupation (occupation relates to writing)
--Position (position supports expertise)
--Affiliation (affiliation suggests expertise)
--Publications (at least five articles on the subject)

Date of publication:
--Within the last several years; the last year; the last six months (if current information is needed AVOID books and DATE LIMIT index searches). Note: when doing a historical report, date is less important than reputation of book and author.
--The book is a first edition, a revision, a reprint, rerun

The publisher's, producer's, or distributor's reputation:
--University (good)
--Publishing Company (good)
--Alternative Press (use with caution)
--Private/Political Organization (use with caution)

The material was
--Edited for publication
--Reviewed for publication
--Self published (use with caution)

The material is documented:
--Bibliography of works cited
--Research

Databases

May be scholarly or popular (MEDLINE versus Reader's Guide)
May be an index or full text (UnCover versus Health Reference Center)
Institution subscribes to commercial database and provides access to patrons. For example: PCC Library subscribes to FirstSearch, GaleNet, Health Reference Center, L.O.I.S, and ProQuest Direct and provides access to registered PCC students, faculty and staff.

Internet Sites

The full text for Evaluating Internet Resources produced by the University of Maryland, University College Library may be found at: http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webeval.htm

Evaluate a Web site using five criteria:

Authority

An authoritative site MUST answer all of the following: --The creator of the page is identified
--The person who maintains the page is identified
-- The legitimacy of the page's sponsor can be verified
-- Anyone who contributed materials is identified

Accuracy

An accurate site MUST meet all of the following:
Sources are identified so they can be verified
The person/organization responsible for the accuracy of the information is named
If statistical data is presented, it is clearly labeled

Objectivity

Measure the page against the following:
The page and information is provided as a public service
The page is free of advertising
If advertising is present, it clearly separate from the informational conten

Currency

Be able to determine the following:
When the page was written
When the page was first placed on line
When the page was last revised or edited
If the information is published in print in different editions, it is clear what edition is used on the web page

Coverage

The Web site should tell you:
The page is complete or still under construction
When the Web page is taken from a print equivalent, whether the entire work or only portions of it are included on the Web site

Reliable Web Publishers

Education (.edu)

Example: A Brief History of Radiology may be found at the Harvard Web site: http://radiology.bidmc.harvard.edu/Headings/History/history.html

Government (.gov)

Example: The Library of Congress' American Memory database at: http://memory.loc.gov/

Associations (.org)

Example: The American Red Cross site: http://www.redcross.org/

Shared Information Site (.net)

Walt Howe's Internet Learning Tree http://people.ne.mediaone.net/walthowe/ilrntree.html

Sites needing more evaluation:

Commercial sites (.com)

Example: The Merck Manual is located at: http://www.merck.com/ This manual is also available in print; it is important to identify when the online edition is being used.

Use these sites with caution:

Personal sites
Chat Rooms
E-Mail

For more in depth information on web resources visit:

"Evaluating Web Resources" by Jan Alexander and Marsha Ann Tate. Widener University, Wolggram Memorial Library. http://www.widener.edu/Tools_Resources/Libraries/Wolfgram_Memorial_Library/Evaluate_Web_Pages/659

Media

Reputation of the publisher, producer, or distributor:
Companies in the education business (high reliability) For example: Bergwall Productions, Inc. http://www.bergwall.com/
Companies in the entertainment business (emphasis on entertainment NOT facts) such as Time Warner http://www.timewarner.com/corp/

Credentials:
The contributors have appropriate credentials
The sources are cited
The information is presented clearly and objectively

The format is appropriate?

The medium presents information you cannot find elsewhere?