A scholarly article is one that has undergone the peer review process. This means that a number of highly regarded professionals (peers) have read and approved the content of the article. The process ensures the information included in the article is of a high quality. Always tick the peer reviewed box when searching for articles in databases.
Whatever the source of your information, whether online or print, it is possible to evaluate it even before fully reading it. This can save valuable research time.
In your initial appraisal, consider...
Author
Currency (date of publication)
Authenticity
Edition or revision
Publisher
Journal type
Reproduced with permission from Modern Librarian Memoirs YouTube channel by Vanessa Garofalo.
Finding information on the topic of your assignment is only the first step. You also need to have a close look at the information to decide whether you are going to use it. Just because you have found a journal article on your assignment topic, doesn't necessarily mean that it is relevant to the question your lecturer is asking.
Digital literacy - 6 videos on fake news to helps you spot fake news and understand its risks by analysing examples of hoaxes, scams, sensationalism, spin, satire, and clickbait.
Discussions about fake news has led to a new focus on media literacy and critical thinking is a key skill in media and information literacy. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has made the infographic below with eight simple steps to discover the verifiability of a given news-piece in front of you
Reviewing the resource - Quick Tip
If your source is a PDF, html or eBook file, try Ctrl+f / Command+f to look for your search term in the text to see how much coverage there is.
