Information Evaluation – How to Critically Evaluate Information

Tired of being duped by misleading information online? Developing your Information evaluation competencies will help you become a sharper researcher and writer. The chapters in this section of Writing Commons introduce practical strategies for critically assessing the credibility and authority of sources, like the CRAAP Test (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) and the SIFT Method (Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace). Equip yourself with the skills necessary to distinguish news and opinion.

a deep fake image of Putin speaking at the national mall in DC

No, Vladimir Putin has not spoken at the National Mall in Washington D.C. This deepfake image illustrates the potential for AI-generated media to blur the lines between fiction and reality in political discourse. While this particular image is fabricated, it serves as a reminder that foreign actors, including Russia and China, have used deepfakes and other forms of digital manipulation in attempts to influence American democracy. As AI technology advances, developing critical AI literacy skills becomes crucial for citizens to discern fact from fiction and maintain the integrity of democratic processes.

Information evaluation refers to the systematic process of assessing the credibility, relevance, and reliability of information sources. It is a critical skill for writers and researchers who must navigate an increasingly complex information landscape. In today’s world, misinformation spreads rapidly, not just through AI-generated content, but also via sophisticated disinformation campaigns orchestrated by state actors and modern sophists. Russian and Chinese interference in information ecosystems has demonstrated the global scale of this problem.

Simultaneously, the foundations of scientific publishing are under siege. The replication crisis has exposed significant flaws in peer-reviewed research across multiple disciplines. Studies once considered authoritative are now scrutinized for conflicts of interest, methodological errors, and reproducibility issues. This erosion of trust in traditional sources of knowledge demands a more critical approach to information evaluation.

Adding to these challenges, information now has a shorter shelf life than ever before. In “The Half-Life of Facts,” Samuel Arbesman reveals that it took 45 years for medical researchers to reject incorrect facts about cirrhosis and hepatitis. This phenomenon, driven by our innate confirmation bias, has real-world consequences: preventable fatalities and unnecessary suffering. The rapid pace of new discoveries and the constant updating of knowledge mean that writers must be vigilant in verifying the currency of their sources.

To navigate this terrain, writers must employ rhetorical analysis alongside information literacy perspectives. By examining how authority is constructed and contextual, writers can better understand why certain sources are presented as credible and how this credibility can shift across different contexts. Viewing information creation as a process helps in recognizing the various stages where bias or error can be introduced.

The value of information in the digital age is not just in its content, but in how it’s framed and disseminated–its information ecology. Understanding research as inquiry and scholarship as a conversation allows writers to place individual pieces of information within broader academic and societal debates. Writers must consider how data and content serve as building blocks in constructing narratives and shaping interpretation.

Moreover, recognizing rhetorical appeals—such as ethos, pathos, and logos—is crucial for understanding how information can be used to persuade audiences. Being aware of how emotional appeals (pathos) are employed can help writers critically evaluate when their emotions are being influenced to sway their opinions.

Evidence: This chapter explores the authority of different types of evidence, helping writers assess the credibility and relevance of the information they encounter.
Interpretation, Interpretative Frameworks: Here, the focus is on the subjectivity of interpretation and the varying weight of information, highlighting how different frameworks can lead to different conclusions.
Textuality and Intertextuality: This section examines how texts are written and how they fit into the broader scholarly conversation, encouraging writers to critically evaluate the context and connections of the information they use.
The CRAAP Test: As a foundational tool, this chapter provides a systematic approach to evaluating sources based on Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose, equipping writers with essential skills for information assessment.

By integrating these approaches, writers can develop a more nuanced understanding of the information they encounter. This critical evaluation process is not just about fact-checking; it’s about understanding the motivations behind information creation, the strategies used in its presentation, and its place within larger knowledge frameworks.