Blog Entry #7
Critically Analyzing Information Sources
- First examine the bibliographic citation (author, title, and publication information)
- Determine author’s credentials
- Check the date of publication
- Even if the publisher is respectable it does not mean the quality is acceptable
- Determine whether it is a scholarly or popular journal
- Read preface to determine the author’s intentions
- Determine what audience the author wrote specifically for
- Separate fact from opinion- Is the information valid?
- Compare ideas/arguments to other pieces of work
- Determine whether or not the information is bias
- Explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints
- Determine whether it is a primary or secondary source
- Locate critical reviews on this text
Evaluating Sources of Information
Authorship
- Author’s credentials which gives credibility in this field
- Area of expertise
- Look to see if the is author affiliated with an organization or institution
- Try to determine the author’s bias or perspective on the topic
- Look to see if the author been cited in sources by others in the field
Publisher/Journal
- Identify the publisher
- Determine if it is a scholarly journal
- Determine who the intended audience is
- Determine if the sources of information is cited
- Author’s credentials
Date of Publication
- Determine when the resource was published
- Decide if resources need to be current
Content
- Determine the purpose of the information
- Check for accuracy
- What is the purpose of the information (i.e. entertain, inform, promote a viewpoint, etc.)
Reliability
- Is the information factual or is it just opinion?
- Can it be backed by other sources?
The article, “The Effect of Video Game Violence on Physiological Desensitization to Real-Life Violence,” was last revised on March 15, 2006. This is very important because I’m looking at the effects of newer games, older sources are less important. The authors of this article are some of the most known in the study human aggression. Bushman is very well known in the psychology field.
The article,”The Effects of Technological Advancement and Violent Content in Video Games on Players’ Feelings of Presence, Involvement, Physiological Arousal, and Aggression,” was published in the Journal of Communication in 2007. This is a scholarly peer-reviewed international scientific journal. This is a reliable journal that has high standards. Also, it is current which is very important for my research.
The article, “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: A Meta-analytic Review of Positive and Negative Effects of Violent Video Games,” was published in Psychiatr Q on October 4, 2007. This is one of the most recent articles that I have found on my subject. It has well illustrated and labeled charts. The results were not what the researchers had intended, but they presented the information in an unbiased manner.
Works Cited
Cosgrave, T., Engle, M., Ormondroyd, J. “Critically Analyzing Information Sources.” Cornell University. 9 Sept. 2009. 12 April 2010. Olin and Uris Libraries Website: <http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill26.htm>.
Martorana, Janet. “Evaluating Sources of Information.” August 2008. 12 April 2010. <http://www.library.ucsb.edu/libinst/infolit/evaluate.html>.
