Reflection on evaluating information on the internet

Evaluating information on the internet

How do I evaluate information?

Whenever I was assigned with activity and asked to search information on given topic, I judge and to establish that the information comes from a reliable and appropriate source. I consider following five criteria and ask myself the following questions:

Audience

Who is the website’s intended audience? (Academic/ The general public/ school children).

Does it appropriately address the target audience?

Is it relevant for my assignment or research?

Authority

Is the author identified?

Is the author a person I recognize as an expert in his field?

If not, is there enough information provided to establish the author’s credibility?

Is author qualified to write about the subject?

Can I find references to her elsewhere?

Is the author affiliated to an academic institution or credible organization?

Accuracy

Is it free from spelling errors?

Is the text well-written and grammatically correct?

Has the content been through an editing process or been peer reviewed?

Has the author included a bibliography?

Are the sources cited reliable and can they be verified elsewhere?

Are research methodologies adequately explained?

Objectivity

Does the author present objective arguments or make it clear when he is expressing biased opinions?

Are other points of view explored?

Is it a personal website? Does it express personal opinions?

Currency

Is the information up to date?

How frequently is the website updated?

Are the links up to date and working?

How these criteria do helped me evaluating the information?

AAAOC criteria helped me to search the information which is relevant, authentic, and valid my assignment as well as presentation. This information assists me to develop a new knowledge based on my experiences and make my voice stronger. It builds originality and consistency in my voice. It also facilitates to focus on one idea and organized the idea in a logical order.

This in turn creates the listener during presentation to draw their attention and curiosity to know further. If it was argumentative topic or concepts, it empowers the speaker to draw the audience on our strand and make them believe in our statement. For example, presentation on ‘Was Hitler a Gay’ I could influence my friends to consider that he was a gay. This is because I had strong points to infer him as a gay. Another example I had evaluated the information on the topic "Researcher tune material's color and thermal properties separately" is shown below.

 Example of how to evaluate the information using five criteria.