Knowing more about your information can help you evaluate it properly. First, identify its format.
Format refers to how information is packaged, or where you access it.
Formats present information differently for different purposes. Knowing what information format you have tells you:
It's important to match your information need to the right format. For example, if you need information on a current event, your best format is news media. If you need information on climate change for your argumentative paper, you might use a subject-specific library database like Environmental Studies.
Source refers to the specific piece of information, like the article on a news media site, or an article in a journal.
Knowing what kind of source you have will also tell you a little bit about why the information exists and what kind of publication process it went through. The longer something takes to be published, the more you should be able to trust its quality.
