ENG151 - Navigating Information: Source Evaluation

Learning Outcomes

After completion of the ENG 151 information literacy unit, students will be able to:

• Given a claim, be able to verify if it is true or not.
• Given a source, determine if it is reliable and trustworthy.
• Find the original source of a story, study, image, etc.
• Find a better source on a topic and be able to explain why it is better.
• Determine if a source is popular or scholarly.

What We're Covering Today

1. Information formats and source types
2. Strategies for evaluating information
3. Introduction to using library databases
4. Practice evaluating information

  The Research Process

1. Identify your information need (often guided by the requirements of your assignment)
2. Pre-research (background info, keywords, learn about topic)
3. Create a research statement or question (often guided by your assignment)
4. Develop a search strategy. (Where will you look for information? This will depend on your what kind of information you need.)
5. Search for information. (Choose a search tool and test your keywords.)
6. Evaluate the sources you find.
7. Answer question and cite sources