The need for quality information
Internet searching can return web pages based on whether they are popular, if they have been well referenced by the web author, or if they have been available on the Internet for a long time. When researching a topic you usually need to find the most accurate information. One advantage of using other information sources, rather than the Internet, is that many of these sources have been quality approved.
What type of quality information is available?
Possible sources of quality information include:
- Books
- Journals - peer reviewed for validity by other researchers in the subject specialisms
- Theses - formal reports by academic researchers, assessed by subject specialists
- Conference papers - provide information on a general theme or area of interest
- Government publications - official reports on the topic, may include useful statistics and government policy
- Magazines and papers - can be factual, discussion-, or opinion-driven
- Historical documents - official records and documents that are archived by the government
- Video sources - Film and TV sources, news archives, fictional accounts of topics, documentaries
Example
Kate has assessed the list of possible sources of information:
- Books
- Historical documents
- Journals
- Video sources.
It is a good idea to prioritise your information sources. If you run out of time you will have investigated the important information first.
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