Question

Methods for searching, critically reviewing, evaluating & processing information from sources.

Answer 1

HOW TO SEARCH INFORMATION

• Define your topic and consider it from many different aspects
• Try to consider the main keywords and central concept of your idea 
• Learn how to use different search services 
• Combine your keywords by commands AND, OR & NOT and use capital letters when doing this

EVALUATE AND BE CRITICAL: 

• An essential part of any research is to critically evaluate the information that is found
• Focus on these things when searching information: 
  • Relevance; Is this site relevant for my needs?
  • Accuracy; When was the information on the site updated, where can I check the accuracy?
  • Perspective; Is this only one side of the issue or are there multiple perspectives provided?
  • Reliability; Who created this information, what is his/her expertise?

HOW TO PROCESS INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES:

• Decide what sources you want to use: 
  • Primary sources:
    • Original materials that provide direct information on the subject
    • Contemporary sources that were created when the event happened (newspaper articles)
    • Primary sources may be published or unpublished 
  • Secondary sources:
    • Interpret and discuss the evidence provided by the primary sources
    • Secondary sources are usually second-hand knowledge or observation
  • Tertiary sources:
    • Books or articles that summarize the information from primary and secondary sources
    • Provides background knowledge on the topic
• It is important to evaluate, compare and combine information from different sources so that the sources are suitable for your own work and the topic that you have chosen 
• REMEMBER TO MARK THE REFERENCES! 

Five tips on how to improve your critical thinking by TED-Ed