Discern diverse sources and formats of information and distinguish the appropriate level of publication types by its currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose in order to evaluate and use these resources to support arguments and hypotheses
| Specific Learning Outcomes |
Assess the quantity and relevance of the search results in order to filter out irrelevant information and identify gaps. Evaluate whether the various information sources retrieved are relevant, authoritative, reliable, valid, timely, or biased. Select appropriate information from the range of results retrieved for the research topic. Assess key sources of information using formal evaluation criteria (e.g. journal impact factors) Differentiate between types of research (e.g. qualitative, quantitative, etc.) relevant to the topic. Evaluate research methods employed in various studies relevant to the topic. Identify research biases within studies. Understand the financial forces and motivation driving the availability of information Utilize current awareness services, such as table of contents, search alerts, and RSS feeds. |
| Suggested Activities / Sessions (but not limited to) |
Understanding Various Publication Metrics Exploring Journal Impact Factors Get to know Altmetrics Understanding Research Methodologies and Design Misinformation and Manipulation |
| Assessment | Quiz or exercise at the end of the lesson |