Information Literacy Toolkit

Helping students critically evaluate information

Encourage your students to ask themselves these questions every time they draw on web- based material:

• Who is the author - an individual or an organisation?
• Are their credentials listed?
• Do they provide an email address?
• Is there any bias evident?
• Do they give references for their source material?
• If there are links, do they work and are they current?
• When was the site produced, updated or revised?
• Does it seem to give comprehensive information? How do you know?
• What else do you need to know about the topic?

Questions to ask of all information:

• What is the author's standpoint, perspective, and ideology?
• What are the author's assumptions and beliefs?
• What is the purpose of the information?
• For whom is it intended (audience)?

Questions to ask of information and communication technologies:

• Is this the appropriate tool to be using?
• What are the assumptions inherent in the tool I am using?