Skip to Main Content

BIO 140: Environmental Biology

This guide supports our BIO 140 courses. You can find links to excellent resources here.

Critical Evaluation

When using information for research you must use good critical thinking skills to evaluate it!

On this page you'll find a variety of tools to help you assess the trustworthiness and usefulness of information you find. For a quick overview, see the box "Smarter in Seconds with Blair Imani." For detailed, step-by-step instructions, check out the video series in the box labeled "Online Verification Skills (SIFT)."

You can always ask for help from a librarian too!

Evaluating Information

Evaluating Information

Use the criteria below to review the website you are evaluating. A high quality source with good information will enable you to answer MOST of the questions in each box with a "YES."

Accuracy –Content is grammatically correct, verifiable and cited when necessary: Is the content grammatically correct?; Is the information accurate and verifiable?; Are sources and references cited?; Does the tone and style imply accuracy? Author – Defines who created the content, the individual or group's credentials/expertise and provides contact information: Do you know who published the source?; Is the author's name easily visible?; What are the author's credentials and are they appropriate for the information provided?; Can you find contact information?; Is the source produced by a reputable organization? Currency – Information is current and updated frequently: Do you know when the information was originally published and is the date acceptable?; Do you know when the information was last updated and is the date acceptable?; Are web links current and reliable?; Do charts and graphs have dates? Fairness– Content is balanced, presenting all sides of an issue and multiple points-of-view: Are various points-of-view presented?; Is the source free of bias towards one point-of-view?; Is the objectivity of the source consistent with its purpose?; Is the source free of advertising? Relevance – Content is relevant to your topic or research: Does the purpose of the source (e.g. research, statistical, organizational) meet your needs?; Who is the intended audience? Will information directed to this audience meet your needs?; Is the information relevant to your research topic?

 

 

Online Verification Skills (SIFT)

Deciding whether information you find online is reliable is a challenge! Following the SIFT method will help. Check out the information below and also the Library Blog post about the SIFT method.

Iconography of the 4 tenets of SIFT: Stop, Investigate, Find coverage, trace to source

This series of 4 short videos give you the tools and methods you need to quickly evaluate information using the SIFT method

  • Stop
  • Investigate the Source
  • Find Better Coverage
  • Trace to original context

Original source and lots more descriptive text: SIFT: the four moves by Mike Caulfield