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Research Process: A Step-By-Step Guide

Not all information is created equal

When you find information for your assignment you need to decide if it is good enough to use.  

When you use reliable high quality information as a starting point for your work it provides you with a solid base that translates into good marks.   

Evaluate = to judge or calculate the quality,

importance, amount or value of something       

Learning how to evaluate information sources is a key research skill.  Use this guide as a starting point to help you evaluate all types of information in any format - print or online.

Try some simple questions to differentiate between fact and fiction, theory and opinion, to judge credibility, reliability and recognise partiality or bias.

What should I use?

Before you use a source in your assignment ask yourself whether it meets the needs of your research task. For example:

• Did your lecturer specify the use of particular sources? e.g. peer reviewed article only
• Is a particular timeframe required? e.g. only sources published in the past 5 years
• Are you required to undertake a broad search? If so you need to use a wide range of reputable sources
• Does the source relate to your assignment topic? Is the information too basic / too advanced?
• Always compare multiple sources to see which one is best for your project /assignment

The CRAAP test

Guide to evaluating information sources (Printable)