For MUS 113 2016 - how to determine if information is trustworthy and appropriate for research.

1. Evaluating
Sources

2. How do we know
if information is
true?

3. Mozart Effect
My friend’s sister
recommended that I get
my new nephew some
Baby Genius Mozart &
Friends CDs because
they will make him
smarter.

4. Mozart Effect
• Find a partner.
• Together, scan the two
sources in front of you.
• Answer the questions
on your handout and be
prepared to share your
answers with the group.

5. 1) What is the Mozart Effect?
2) What did the article conducted by University of
California Irvine discover?
3) What does the website about the Mozart Effect
say? What do you think it’s trying to argue?
4) What did the article conducted by Appalachian
State University discover?
5) Which article do you trust more? Why? List at least
3 reasons and be prepared to share with the class.

6. How people
determine
if
information
is true
• Evidence

7. How people
determine
if
information
is true
• Evidence
• Authority

8. How people
determine
if
information
is true
• Evidence
• Authority
• Consensus

9. Tools For
Evaluating
Sources

10. C
R
A
P

11. Currency
R
A
P

12. Currency
Reliability
A
P

13. Currency
Reliability
Authority
P

14. Currency
Reliability
Authority
Purpose

15. Currency
How current is the
information?
Is it outdated?
Is it very recent?
(Consensus
)

16. Clues
• Check for currency by looking:
– For a date in the citation if you’re looking at a
journal article in a database
– After the title or at the bottom of the article from a
website

17. Reliability
Where did this
information come from?
Is it cited?
Is it sponsored by an
organization with a bias?
Is the information
trustworthy?

18. Reliability
Where did this
information come from?
Is it cited?
Is it sponsored by an
organization with a bias?
Is the information
trustworthy?
(Evidence)

19. Clues
• To check for reliability, ask
– Is this a controversial topic?
– Is the language of this article trying to lead me to
believe something?
– Is the data sound? Could another conclusion be made
based on the data? Is there data missing?
– Are there many grammatical errors? Is the article
well-structured and organized?

20. Authority
Who wrote or presented
this information?
Does the person have the
qualifications to be
presenting this
information?
Is he or she trustworthy?

21. Authority
Who wrote or presented
this information?
Does the person have the
qualifications to be
presenting this
information?
Is he or she trustworthy?
(Authority
)

22. Clues
• Check for authority of the author by
asking:
– Does the writer have a degree in the
subject?What are his or her affiliations
(where does the author work)?
– What do others in the field think about this
person?
– What else has this person written about the
topic? Is he or she an expert?

23. Purpose
For what purpose is this
information being offered?
Does the purpose match
your own?

24. Clues
• To determine the purpose of a source, ask:
– What vocabulary and language is used? Is it for the
general public or an expert scholar?
– Is the platform of the information flashy and
exciting, or simple? Is the source trying to entertain
or inform?
– Are there advertisements?
– Can you see where the author is getting his or her
information? Are there citations or a works cited list?

25. Should I give my
nephew the CDs?
Based on your evaluations …

26. Practice
Time
• Choose two sources.
• Evaluate your sources
using the CRAP test in
the online form.
• Share your results with a
partner.

27. BACK TO
PROCESS
Remember when we talked about this?

28. What does process have to do with
evaluation?
Reflect for 3 or 4 minutes.