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Interrogate & Evaluate Resources — Assessing the Information You've Found

Assessing Your Information

Don't give yourself information overload!

Sometimes, we're really good at collecting information, without really thinking about what we're going to do with that information. This page will help you think about all the great sources you've found, and help you start thinking about how they fit together, and how you might use them.

Keeping Track of Your Sources

Look back on the sources you've found (citations you've found, etc.) and the notes that you have taken.

Some questions to consider:

  • Are you falling victim to confirmation bias?
  • Are there any alternate viewpoints or voices?
  • Are there any obvious gaps?
  • Have the resources you found met your needs, or do you need to ask another question?

Are there any less obvious gaps in your information? Ask a friend, your teacher, a librarian. Seek out an outside perspective to see if there is something you haven't considered!

You might need more information if...

  • all your sources come from a single authority (scholar, organization, magazine, journal)
  • all your sources reference the same one or two sources
  • your research lacks current information (especially for current issues) 
  • your source is current, but only cites old information and does not acknowledge this (check the works cited or references)

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