Main Contents Page

Before you start

STEP 1: STARTING OUT

STEP 2: FINDING

STEP 3: EVALUATE

- Fact vs opinion

- Currency (up-to-date)

- Authority

- Intended audience

- Publishing body

- Popular vs academic

- Eliminate irrelevant info

- Primary vs secondary sources

- Critical reading

- CARS checklist

- Quizz

STEP 4: LEGAL USE

STEP 5: COMMUNICATE

Since knowledge advances so rapidly, it is often very important to use only current information. In academic work it is considered bad practice not to use current information.

Currency defines the age of the information. You will have to decide how important it is for you to have current information. Your topic will help you determine the currency of information you need. If your assignment is about history, then you will probably be looking for older material and currency will not be that important to you. Current (up to date) information can be found in the latest newspapers, journals, television programmes, books, acts/law reports, etc.

To know if the information is current, look at the following:

• When the information was published or written.
• Is information in this field constantly being updated and are there new ideas being written? In certain subject fields like e.g. IT (Information Technology), you will find that information is quickly outdated and needs constant updating.