Read the Abstract/Summary first. This will help you determine whether the full content/article will be relevant.
Critical thinking is the art of analysing and evaluation thinking with a view to improving it.
Elder, L & Paul, R, 2009, The aspiring thinker's guide to critical thinking, The Foundation for Critical Thinking, viewed 9 December 2024.
Question everything!
Once you begin to find information, you need to evaluate it to ensure its appropriateness for your research.
Use these broad criteria as a guide for checking the quality and relevance of your sources:
Accuracy of the information: Are all reference sources listed, spelling/grammar consistent?
Audience: is it written for a specific group of people? What is the assumed knowledge of the reader? What is the purpose of the resource?
Authority of the author: Are they qualified, experienced, affiliated with an institution?
Currency/Timeliness: is the information current or historical information? Has it been updated?
Point-of-view: is a particular viewpoint expressed? Is bias or opinion evident? Is the writing style appropriate to the discipline?
Publisher: where did you find it and who published it?
References: does it refer to other resources? Does it include references and a bibliography or reference list?
Reliability of the source: Is it from a scholarly journal, textbook, trade publication?
The web provides access to seemingly unlimited amounts of information. However, the information you find may not be appropriate to be used as a base for your assignments, or for your research purposes. Use the above tips for evaluating and selecting resources.
There are numerous, useful web evaluation checklists available on the web - created by authoritative institutions. Here is one by the University of Leeds. Another useful method is the SIFT method - check out the Charles Sturt University's guide.