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Evaluating Information
   
 

Main Contents Page

About Information Literacy

STEP 1: STARTING out

STEP 2: FINDING

STEP 3: EVALUATE

- Fact vs opinion

- Currency

- Authority

- Intended audience

- Publishing body

- Popular vs academic

- Primary & secondary info

- Critical reading

- Eliminate irrelevant info

- CARS checklist

- Quiz

STEP 4: Legal & ethical USE

STEP 5: COMMUNICATE
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Popular vs Academic information

All magazines, journals and newspapers are known as Periodicals in the Library. Journals are classified as academic and magazines are classified as popular. The following will explain the difference between academic journals and popular magazines:

Academic

Journals can be identified by the following:

  • Written by an expert or a specialist in that specific field.
  • Is an academic publication.
  • It will generally provide footnotes and a bibliography.
  • It reports on original research or reviews the state of a field.
  • Usually has graphs, diagrams and tables, but few photographs.
  • Targeted at subject specialists.

Examples of journals are:

  • Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
  • International Journal of Information Management
  • South African Computer Journal
  • Journal of Property Research
  • The Appraisal Journal
  • SA Merchantile Law Journal
  • International Journal of Climatology etc.

It is important to base academic research on academic sources.

Popular

A magazine can be identified by the following:

  • It rarely provides footnotes or a bibliography.
  • Articles are written mostly by reporters or freelance writers.
  • It is usually published by a commercial enterprise.
  • Normally has lots of photographs, but few graphs and tables.
  • Targeted at a wide, divergent readership.

Examples of magazines are:

  • Huisgenoot
  • You
  • Car
  • Sarie
  • Getaway, etc.