Research Tools > How to Judge Information
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Information comes from lots of different sources. Here are some you're probably familiar with:
- Encyclopedias
- Books
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Sites on the World Wide Web
Every source has its own way of presenting information. Some information is reliable and factual. Some is guesswork and opinion. Some is pure fun. And some isn't useful at all. The trick is to know the difference.
When you're doing research for a report, you want to make sure that your sources are good. How do you decide which are good and which are not? Your teachers and librarians can guide you, but in the end, you have to be the judge. Here are some questions to ask yourself when you judge information:
- Is this source reliable? Does it contain facts, or opinions?
- Is this source complete? Does it say all there is to say about my topic?
- Is this source up-to-date? Was it written recently, or a long time ago?
Encyclopedias
You probably use encyclopedias a lot when you do research for a report. This is fine, because the information in encyclopedias is nearly always factual. In some ways, encyclopedia articles (often called "entries") are kind of like reports - they are written to inform you about a subject. Encyclopedias are rich in facts. So, does this mean that encyclopedias always have the best information? Not exactly.
Encyclopedia articles usually present just the highlights of a topic. Encyclopedia articles aren't very complete. Often, you'll need more detail than an encyclopedia can provide. Also, encyclopedias don't always have the latest information about a topic. They aren't always up-to-date. Sometimes you'll need more current information.
Books
Books are very good sources to use when writing a report about something. They are usually reliable, so long as the purpose of the book is to inform. What's more, if you're lucky enough to find a book on your topic, you'll probably find plenty of facts and details. Books are usually complete sources - they usually cover their topic thoroughly.
But books are sometimes out-of-date. Always check to see when your book was written before using it as a report source. If it's more than a few years old, it may be missing some new information that you'll want to know about.
Magazines
Magazine articles are also very good sources of information for reports. They are often rich in facts. Often, they are even more detailed than books. And the information in magazine articles is usually very up-to-date.
But some magazine articles are just for fun. These articles aren't written to inform you, but to make you laugh. So, when using a magazine article as a report source, always judge the purpose of the article. Is it educational or just entertainment? Use educational articles as report sources.
Newspapers
Newspapers can also be good sources of information for reports. Newspaper articles are often about current events, so the information in newspapers is usually current. You usually can't get much more up-to-date than a daily newspaper. Newspaper articles are often factual, especially the ones on the front page.
However, sometimes there isn't all that much detail in a newspaper article. Like encyclopedias, newspapers tend to present the highlights of a topic. Newspaper coverage isn't as complete as the coverage in other sources.
Sites on the World Wide Web
It's not always easy to judge information on Web sites. Some websites are very reliable, but others are not. Some cover their topic in great detail, but many provide only the highlights. Many are updated regularly, but some are not updated at all. So how do you judge?
One trick to use is to judge Web sites in the same way you judge magazine articles - consider the purpose. Is the information on the website meant to help you learn, or is it just for fun? The best Web sites to use as report sources are the ones that are meant to inform you about something. Web sites meant to entertain you aren't as useful as report sources.