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| 1) information's source's purpose | A researcher should begin by determining whether or not the author's purpose in publishing the information is stated or self evident; and if it has been fulfilled. It is necessary to determine whether the source delivers facts, opinion, or propaganda. A primary source presents relevant information in its text or other content, and usually relies on external links as pointers to referent or explicatory material. Secondary sources are often lists of external links; they are useful for collating and consolidating information, like a print index. |
| 2) information's source's intended audience | It is important to understand what audience is being addressed by the author, and whether the level of information matches the needs of the intended audience. |
| 3) information's source's scope | The breadth and depth of coverage related to the needs dictated by the topic is another important consideration. It varies, depending on the perspective needed. For example, perhaps a general survey consisting of multiple related topics (broad and shallow) is required for a comprehensive overview or history of a subject is required. On the other hand, a focused analysis (narrow and deep) of a topic may be required to determine the outcome of changing a single variable. Information that is appropriate to the context should be selected. |
| 4) information's source's currency | One advantage of online information relative to the ease with which it is updated is currency. Currency can be thought of as the "freshness" of information, and is a desirable characteristic for statistics, news, and other present-context material. Historical material restricted to a particular period doesn't require as frequent updating as state-of-the-art information, and can be regarded in a different light. |
| 5) information's source's authority | The first test of authority is a named author(s) or editors who accept responsibility for the content of the source. Authors should be named, and means of contacting them should be available, so that clarifications or corrections can be addressed. The author's credibility can be evaluated by examining other publications he's authored, or reviews of the works. The author's reputation must be considered. |
| 6) information's source's bibliography | It is important to judge the intrinsic value of an information source. The presence or absence of a bibliography that names and cites the sources of information found in the work is another criterion for evaluation. In the absence of a bibliography, the work must be considered either a primary source by an authority, or opinion. The bibliography should give a complete listing of all sources used in the work, so that they can be verified. Peer review is a screening process that filters works of questionable content or authority, and should generally be considered as being a positive attribute. |
| 7) information's source's objectivity | It is important to identify any biases that the author(s) or editor(s) of an information source might possess. If there are sponsoring agencies, they should be named and reputable. Any apparent conflicts of interest should be identified. An important consideration with web pages is the presence of advertising. Ideally, objective material is preferred, but equally valuable material that is slanted should not be ignored, but evaluated in light of the bias. |
| 8) information's source's accuracy | The importance of accuracy cannot be overstated. When possible, information should be cross-checked to verify its accuracy. The source should not only be reliable, but error-free. Obvious inaccuracies, misspellings, and poor grammar often (but not always) indicate a lack of careful authorship. With respect to web pages, links from the source should be relevant and appropriate. The subject should be covered comprehensively within the intended scope (i.e., completely). There should be no question as to whether the information presented is factual, opinion, or interpretation of facts. |
