LO 700: Evaluating Information

This 3 minute video from Vanderbilt University's Peabody Library defines scholarly journal and explains how to find scholarly, peer-reviewed articles.

This is a short video from the Lincoln Memorial University which explains the difference between Scholarly and Popular Sources.

(Video produced by the University of Mary Washington Media Center.)

When looking for information on a topic, keep the information cycle in mind.  Newsworthy events will usually begin with internet coverage, including social media. As time passes, the sequence of coverage occurs as listed below. As the coverage evolves over time, you will see more analysis of the event rather than a sharing ot the basic who, what, when and where. 

Internet Coverage------>Newspapers-----> Popular Magazines----->Scholarly Peer-reviewed Articles-----> Books

How can the information cycle impact your search for information?

1. If you are covering a very recent news event, limit your search to resources at the beginning of the information cycle. 
2. Keep in mind that newer information does not undergo the same level of fact checking as information in  scholarly articles or books. Initial coverage of a news event will be updated frequently as the news unfolds. 
3. If your assignment requires the use of scholarly journal articles, do not select an emerging topic. 
4. If your topic covers a subject like technology that is changing constantly, the information sources at the end of the information cycle might present outdated information.
5. When researching a company, it is important to include the most current information available so do not rely solely on scholarly articles or books. 

Source: The Information Cycle. (n.d.) University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Retrieved from http://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/howdoi/informationcycle.html