Finding and Evaluating

Information Online

A Brief Guide

To support theological information literacy by

teaching students how to locate information resources appropriate for use in seminary studies using the Internet.

To support theological information literacy by teaching students how to evaluate information resources located and retrieved using the Internet.

Objective

Information literacy is the set of skills needed

in order to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information.

Today’s focus is upon finding and evaluating information.

We will briefly discuss retrieval. There is a difference between finding and

retrieving information. You can find information and evaluate it before

you retrieve it, saving time and money.

Remember

The Internet

Web Sites Portals or Gateways Digital libraries Social Media

Blogs, wikis, discussion groups. Electronic Databases

EBSCO, Pro Quest, First Search, Wilson web.

Finding Information

News grows old. Today’s established facts may be doubted

tomorrow. Information is never truly free. Published/purchased information is usually

superior to free information. Repetition Overload Information cycle

The Nature of Information

Information Professionals

• Librarians love to help people find information and have created paths to help you find what you are looking for.

Professors• They are experts in a particular subject area and have

spent years reading the literature.

Your Colleagues

Use the Work of Others!

Seminary Library Websites Library Special Projects Subject Guides – Research Guides – Pathfinders Bibliographies: Example -

http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/resources/article2.aspx?id=10513

Resource pages Tip: Use these words when searching Google –

“Christian education” “subject guide” or“Church History” “pathfinder” or“Missions” “bibliography”

Libraries

What: Standardized format for library subject

guides and more. Where: www.libguides.com Useful as a guide to information resources in a

specific subject or on a specific topic. Example: Biblical Languages at HBU.

Libguides

What: The World’s largest network of Library

resources. Where: www.worldcat.org Copy/Paste or Export a Turabian Citation. More features through Firstsearch

WorldCat

Open Access Journals are academic journals

that have been published and may be accessed for free.

Directory of Open Access Journals: Religion – http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=subject&cpid=16

The Master’s Seminary list of Free Journals: http://www.tms.edu/LibraryFreeJournals.aspx

Open Access

The best information is available from

subscription services because information is never truly free.

Seminary libraries have to pay for access to these services so that students can use them. Many institutions provide alumni access.

Electronic Databases require login information that must be provided by your institution for you to access them.

Subscription Services

EBSCO Databases

ATLA Religion Database Religion and Philosophy

Collection World History ERIC (Education)

Electronic Databases

Boolean Operators Pearl Growing These are just two things to learn about

searching electronic databases. These are skills used in information retrieval.

Searching Databases

ANDOR

NOT

Jesus

DeityJohn

BOOLEAN OPERATORS

Pearl Growing

A strategy for growing a search, bit by bit from one useful citation or search term into a search that yields the best results.

Scholarly vs. Popular Relevant or Irrelevant Useful for your purposes or not useful Authoritative or lacking authority Spiritual aspect in theological study

Evaluating Information

Popular vs. Scholarly

Magazines Newspapers Many Websites Christian living

books• Charles Swindoll• Warren Wiersbe• Max Lucado

Books with a credentialed Author• Look for References

Reference Works Websites from reputable

colleges and Universities Peer-Reviewed Scholarly

Journals (Print and Electronic)

Academic Library Websites

Keys to Choosing Scholarly BooksAuthor

What does he or she do for a living?What credentials does he or she have?How many books on the same subject?Referenced in other books?

Publisher Is it a University Press? Does it usually publish

academic books in this subject area?

Keep a mental list of good publishers.

Does it publish books for credentialed authors?

Publishers

Baker Book House Wm B. Eeerdmans Banner of Truth Trust Hendrickson Crossway Paternoster Press InterVarsity Press Westminster & John

Knox Press

Zondervan J. Clarke Kregal Thomas Nelson Klock and Klock Moody Press F. H. Revell Word

Ask yourself questions about the web site: What does the URL tell me? • URL extension? .edu .com .org .net .gov• Truncate the URL. What is the foundation of the

address? Who is the author? • Author’s credentials.• Contact information.

Is the material copyrighted?

Evaluating Web Sites

Is the information on the page documented? • Look for references to books, articles, or sites.• What sites does this site link to?• Are links active or broken?

Are there many advertisements on the page? Is grammar and spelling correct? Is the website updated regularly? What is the purpose of the website?• To inform. To persuade. To sell a product. To give

voice to an opinion.

Evaluating Web Sites

Remember to use the expertise of librarians,

professors, thinkers, and writers to help you find quality sources of information.

Subject Guides, pathfinders, research guides, bibliographies, and resource pages are excellent tools produced by these people to help you find the best information.

Remember that evaluation of information is a matter of asking yourself particular questions about a source.

Conclusion