You should analyze all the information you come across - regardless of whether you're looking for information for academic, professional, or personal reasons. Evaluating information encourages you to think critically about whether or not it is factual and reliable.
A perk of utilizing the library's resources and databases are the filters that you can utilize. Most databases allow you to search for peer-reviewed sources only. If you limit your searches to peer-reviewed content only, that means some of the evaluation and vetting has been done for you. instead, you can then focus on whether or not it is current enough and relevant to your needs.
However, if you are utilizing information on the world wide web, you'll need to be extra vigilant and cautious. Generally speaking, anyone can publish anything on the internet. That means that most of what you'll find there is published without any type of formal review process.
There are evaluation systems that you can utilize to assist you with resource selection. As an example, the CRAAP method is displayed below. A list of other popular evaluation systems can be located at the bottom of this box.
When using the CRAAP method, you'll want to consider the following:
1. Currency - the timeliness of the information
2. Relevance - the importance of the information for your needs
3. Authority - the source of the information
4. Accuracy - the reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the information
5. Purpose - the reason the information exists
As AI tools become increasingly prevalent in the research and writing process, it's important to regularly and critically assess the content they produce. While AI can assist in generating ideas and drafting text, the outputs may not always be accurate or reliable. The burden of responsibility to verify its accuracy and scholarly value falls on YOU.
Key Considerations:
Best Practices: