Examine and Apply Content
And now it is time to actually use the information you've retrieved to answer your question. What are you discovering and what does it mean? Can you verify the validity of those sources?
- You apply criteria for evaluating information and its sources.
- You analyze the structure and logic of supporting arguments or methods in each source.
- You examine and compare information from various sources in order to evaluate reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, timeliness, and point of view or bias.
- You recognize the context (cultural, political, business etc.) in which information is created and understand the impact of context on interpreting the information.
- You organize and use information from multiple sources to reach an informed conclusion that answers your question, solves your problem, and/or meets the requirements of the assignment.
Evaluation Step:
You should assess the quantity, quality, and relevance of your search results to identify gaps and determine if follow up searches are required. If you discover gaps in your research, you will need to return to earlier steps.
Next Concept: Present Findings
Back to the Information Literacy Puzzle
Information Literacy at Grays Harbor College by the John Spellman Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at Seattle Central Community College Library. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available. For more information, contact the John Spellman Library.