EVALUATE INFORMATION

So you've found a whole lot of websites on your topic. But how do you know they are any good? Is the information accurate, up to date, unbiased, and published by an expert on the topic? Browse the pages below to help you evaluate information.

READ EFFICIENTLY AND QUESTION WHAT YOU READ

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KEY POINTS:

Skim read/scan the text for an overview - then decide, is it worth reading in detail? More info here.
Does the writer have a clear opinion on the topic, or is a factual report?
If it's an opinion piece, does the writer use evidence to back up his/her claims?
Does the writer use emotive or persuasive language? Is it well edited, or are there a lot of mistakes?

UNDERSTAND AND IDENTIFY BIAS

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KEY POINTS:

Who created the resource? Could their age, gender, religion, or cultural background influence their ideas about a topic?
When was the resource created? Has "popular" opinion about a topic changed since the resource was created? Do you understand the historical context in which the resource was created?
Why was the resource created, and who is the target audience? For example - is the resource an advertisement cleverly disguised as a news article?

EVALUATING IMAGES

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KEY POINTS:

Inspect the details of the image to see if it matches information about the people/events it is depicting, eg clothing, cars, buildings.

Consider whether the image has been digitally manipulated to add or omit features. Can you trace where the image originated?

If you find an image and don't know where it originated, conduct a reverse image search. This can be done with Google (instructions here), or with a search engine such as TinEye.

EVALUATING WEBSITES

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KEY POINTS:

Anyone can publish anything online.

Who created the website you're looking at? Do they have an "About Us" or "Contact Us" section?

Consider the web domain. Is it a government organisation (.gov), an educational institution (.edu), or a not-for-profit organisation (.org)? Generally, you can trust that information on these websites will be up-to-date and written by a professional in the field.

Is it an Australian website (.au)?

Can you easily identify when the information was published?

Do all the links work? Is it a well-designed, easy to navigate website?

PRIMARY SOURCES VS. SECONDARY SOURCES

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Understand the difference between primary sources and secondary sources.

Primary sources are first-hand accounts and records about a topic/event, produced by people directly connected to the topic/event. Primary sources include:

Photographs that capture an event
Diaries, journals or letters produced at the time of the event
Interviews with people connected to the topic/event
Survey data
Original news reports or "eye-witness" accounts produced at the time of the event

Secondary sources are commentary on, or an interpretation of, primary sources. Secondary sources include:

Most books about a topic, including text books
Wikipedia and other encyclopedia entries
Newspaper, magazine, or journal articles written after the event
Reviews
Documentaries

UNDERSTANDING COPYRIGHT

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KEY POINTS:

It is important to understand a little bit about copyright rules when you are using resources you have found online. You can read about copyright and schools here.
Always credit the creator of a resource - such as a photograph or a quote from an article - that you use in your assignment. Keep track of everything you use to add to your bibliography.
You can find copyright-free images by filtering your Google search by usage rights. Learn more here.

EVALUATE INFORMATION

So you've found a whole lot of websites on your topic. But how do you know they are any good? Is the information accurate, up to date, unbiased, and published by an expert on the topic? Browse the pages below to help you evaluate information.

READ EFFICIENTLY AND QUESTION WHAT YOU READ

Click here for more information

KEY POINTS:

Skim read/scan the text for an overview - then decide, is it worth reading in detail? More info here.

Does the writer have a clear opinion on the topic, or is a factual report?

If it's an opinion piece, does the writer use evidence to back up his/her claims?

Does the writer use emotive or persuasive language? Is it well edited, or are there a lot of mistakes?

UNDERSTAND AND IDENTIFY BIAS

Click here for more information

KEY POINTS:

Who created the resource? Could their age, gender, religion, or cultural background influence their ideas about a topic?

When was the resource created? Has "popular" opinion about a topic changed since the resource was created? Do you understand the historical context in which the resource was created?

Why was the resource created, and who is the target audience? For example - is the resource an advertisement cleverly disguised as a news article?

EVALUATING IMAGES

Click here for more information

KEY POINTS:

Inspect the details of the image to see if it matches information about the people/events it is depicting, eg clothing, cars, buildings.

Consider whether the image has been digitally manipulated to add or omit features. Can you trace where the image originated?

If you find an image and don't know where it originated, conduct a reverse image search. This can be done with Google (instructions here), or with a search engine such as TinEye.

EVALUATING WEBSITES

Click here for more information

KEY POINTS:

Anyone can publish anything online.

Who created the website you're looking at? Do they have an "About Us" or "Contact Us" section?

Consider the web domain. Is it a government organisation (.gov), an educational institution (.edu), or a not-for-profit organisation (.org)? Generally, you can trust that information on these websites will be up-to-date and written by a professional in the field.

Is it an Australian website (.au)?

Can you easily identify when the information was published?

Do all the links work? Is it a well-designed, easy to navigate website?

PRIMARY SOURCES VS. SECONDARY SOURCES

Click here for more information

Understand the difference between primary sources and secondary sources.

Primary sources are first-hand accounts and records about a topic/event, produced by people directly connected to the topic/event. Primary sources include:

Photographs that capture an event

Diaries, journals or letters produced at the time of the event

Interviews with people connected to the topic/event

Survey data

Original news reports or "eye-witness" accounts produced at the time of the event

Secondary sources are commentary on, or an interpretation of, primary sources. Secondary sources include:

Most books about a topic, including text books

Wikipedia and other encyclopedia entries

Newspaper, magazine, or journal articles written after the event

Reviews

Documentaries

UNDERSTANDING COPYRIGHT

Click here for more information

KEY POINTS:

It is important to understand a little bit about copyright rules when you are using resources you have found online. You can read about copyright and schools here.

Always credit the creator of a resource - such as a photograph or a quote from an article - that you use in your assignment. Keep track of everything you use to add to your bibliography.

You can find copyright-free images by filtering your Google search by usage rights. Learn more here.