Evaluating Information - Part 2
Contents
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Part 1
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WHO HAS WRITTEN THE INFORMATION?
WHO HAS PUBLISHED THE INFORMATION?
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Part 2
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WHEN WAS THE INFORMATION PUBLISHED?
WHO WAS THE INFORMATION WRITTEN FOR?
WHY WAS THE INFORMATION PUBLISHED?
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 WHEN
WAS THE INFORMATION PUBLISHED?
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The date of publication is important when evaluating
information, especially in areas where there's lot of
change, eg. science, technology, politics.
Almost all information sources have a publication date.
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Books
Usually, the publication date for books is found:
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on the back of the title page.
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Journals
For journals, it is usually
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On the cover of the journal
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And on the top or bottom of the pages
throughout the issue
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Journals
For articles in journals the author's name can be found
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Near the title or at the end of the article.
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Sometimes the qualifications of the author and brief background
details are also included.
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Internet
For Internet documents, it is usually found:
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At the top or bottom of the page
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However, the date shown could be when the document was:
first written
placed on the web, or
last updated.
You will usually want your information to be up to date,
so you need to choose the most recently published sources.
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WHO WAS THE INFORMATION WRITTEN FOR?
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Information can be written for particular groups of
people, as well as at different levels.
Some information is written for a general audience
and gives an introduction to the subject with some background
details. Other sources use technical language giving
more advanced information aimed at the specialist in
the field.
If you're new to the subject area, information with
technical words mightn't be useful and you'll need to
look at more general sources.
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WHY
WAS THE INFORMATION WRITTEN?
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There are many reasons why a book, journal article,
or web page has been published. The information might
have been published to inform, entertain, or persuade
you to buy a particular product.
The author might be presenting a personal opinion about
an issue and trying to persuade you to a particular
point of view.
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Activity
Have you mastered the skills of evaluating information?
Test yourself by doing this quick
quiz!
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This guide developed
by Janelle Everest, Julia Drury and Vivienne Sigley, North Coast
Institute
© TAFE NSW, North Coast Institute |
