information literacy: finding information

Finding InformationFinding Information

• Know what you are looking for• Know where to look• Know how to find the information

you need• Evaluate the information you find• Acknowledge and list your sources

• Know what you are looking for• Know where to look• Know how to find the information

you need• Evaluate the information you find• Acknowledge and list your sources

• What are the key concepts in your question? List them.

• Do you understand all the terms involved?

• What would be the best search terms to use? List them, but be willing to add and subtract from your list.

• What are the key concepts in your question? List them.

• Do you understand all the terms involved?

• What would be the best search terms to use? List them, but be willing to add and subtract from your list.

Developing a Search StrategyDeveloping a Search Strategy

Knowing Where to LookKnowing Where to Look

Type of information

Possible Sources

Current, up to date Newspapers, www, journals, people, tv, radio

Comprehensive information

www, books, people, magazine articles, documentaries

Background information Books, encyclopedias, documentaries, www.

• Not case sensitive - all words included, but order matters

• Search results displayed in order of relevance - use + for emphasis

• Use “ ‘’ for exact phrase

- if word has more than one meaning* for word variants‘or’ for alternatives

• Not case sensitive - all words included, but order matters

• Search results displayed in order of relevance - use + for emphasis

• Use “ ‘’ for exact phrase

- if word has more than one meaning* for word variants‘or’ for alternatives

Searching on the internetSearch techniques

Searching on the internetSearch techniques

Search EnginesSearch Engines

General Hints• Look for hints in a URL before

selecting it.• Look for related links. (url: )• Use the 5 points in next slide to

evaluate.• Get a second or third opinion.

General Hints• Look for hints in a URL before

selecting it.• Look for related links. (url: )• Use the 5 points in next slide to

evaluate.• Get a second or third opinion.

Evaluating the websiteEvaluating the website

• Accuracy• Authority• Perspective• Currency• Coverage

• Accuracy• Authority• Perspective• Currency• Coverage


Accuracy• Are the sources of factual information clearly

listed so they can be verified in another source?• Is the information free of errors? Grammatical Spelling Typographical• If statistical data, are they clearly labelled and

easy to read?

Accuracy• Are the sources of factual information clearly

listed so they can be verified in another source?• Is the information free of errors? Grammatical Spelling Typographical• If statistical data, are they clearly labelled and

easy to read?

Evaluating for:Evaluating for:

Authority• Is the author indicated (often in the footer)? Is the author the

original creator of the information? Are the author's qualifications clearly stated?

• Is it clear who is sponsoring the page? Is it a national institution/organization?

Is there a link to a page describing the purpose of the sponsoring organization?

• Is there a way of verifying the page's sponsor? (An e-mail address is not enough.)

• If the material is protected by copyright, is the name of the copyright holder indicated?

• Does the site seem to be permanent or part of a permanent organisation?

Authority• Is the author indicated (often in the footer)? Is the author the

original creator of the information? Are the author's qualifications clearly stated?

• Is it clear who is sponsoring the page? Is it a national institution/organization?

Is there a link to a page describing the purpose of the sponsoring organization?

• Is there a way of verifying the page's sponsor? (An e-mail address is not enough.)

• If the material is protected by copyright, is the name of the copyright holder indicated?

• Does the site seem to be permanent or part of a permanent organisation?


Perspective or Objectivity• Does the author have a bias? Does she/he express a

particular point of view?• Is the author affiliated with particular organizations,

institutions, associations?• What is the rationale for the site - is it endorsing a

particular viewpoint to the exclusion of other views?• Is there a list or bibliography of corroborative evidence?• Is the information free of advertising? If there is any

advertising on the page, is it clearly identified as advertising or does it look like informational content?

Perspective or Objectivity• Does the author have a bias? Does she/he express a

particular point of view?• Is the author affiliated with particular organizations,

institutions, associations?• What is the rationale for the site - is it endorsing a

particular viewpoint to the exclusion of other views?• Is there a list or bibliography of corroborative evidence?• Is the information free of advertising? If there is any

advertising on the page, is it clearly identified as advertising or does it look like informational content?


Currency• Are there dates on the page (usually in the

footer) to indicate when the page was written and last revised?

• Are there any other indications that the material is kept current?

• If material is presented in graphs and/or charts, is it clearly stated when the data was gathered?

Currency• Are there dates on the page (usually in the

footer) to indicate when the page was written and last revised?

• Are there any other indications that the material is kept current?

• If material is presented in graphs and/or charts, is it clearly stated when the data was gathered?


Go to http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/

Go to http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/


http://home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html










Try evaluating some sites...

1. Search a controversial topic in Google:• "nuclear Armageddon• prisons danger• “stem cells” abortion

2. Scan the first two pages of results3. Visit one or two sites

• try to evaluate their quality and reliability

1. Search a controversial topic in Google:• "nuclear Armageddon• prisons danger• “stem cells” abortion

2. Scan the first two pages of results3. Visit one or two sites

• try to evaluate their quality and reliability

http://www.martinlutherking.org/http://www.martinlutherking.org/