TCMS LIBRARY: EVALUATE
Helping the TCMS community become better readers, explorers, and digital citizens
RADCAB
How do you decide what information to trust? Looking carefully at the RADCAB elements is one way.
Before you decide to use information, look carefully at the information AND the website where the information is posted.
Like a detective, search for clues and think about what they mean. Ask questions like: Who wrote this information? What was their motivation? Is it reliable? Accurate?
RELEVANCY
The RELEVANCY test asks if the information you find is relevant to the type of research you are doing. Is the information related to your research? Remember, as a researcher you are looking for academic information -- facts -- not something meant to entertain you. You want a high-quality source.
Ask yourself:
- What type of information do I need? Facts? Opinions? Eyewitness (primary) sources? A news article dated at the time of the event? Comprehensive analysis written after the event?
- What type of source might give me the information I need? A journal or blog? Newspaper, magazine or journal article? Government report? Opinion piece?
- Is the information about, or related to, my topic?
Tip:
- Look at the article headings and website details for clues about what type of information is presented
QUIZ: Test your understanding of Relevancy on the sources below. Here's how:
- Read the blue text to see what you are "researching".
- Evaluate RELEVANCY using the guidelines above.
- Click on the
to see if you evaluated properly!
- You're researching whether students should wear uniforms in school The issue of school uniforms would likely be found in a book about school policies. This book source passes the RADCAB test for Relevancy.
- You're researching concussions in youth sports This source provides many facts and information about my topic. The facts are taken from a government report. This source passes the RADCAB test for Relevancy.
- You're researching the value of name-brand clothes Although this source talks about the topic I am researching, the site contains mainly opinions from people. In my project, I need facts. This is not the right type of source for my project and it would fail the RADCAB test for Relevancy.
APPROPRIATENESS
The APPROPRIATENESS test asks whether the information you find is suitable for your reading level and core values.
Ask yourself:
- Is the information suitable for my personal values and our school values? If not, move to another source.
- Is the information difficult and confusing to understand? Find information at your reading level.
Tip:
- Try changing your search strategy to find more appropriate resources. Ask for help if you need more guidance.
QUIZ: Test your understanding of Appropriateness on the sources below. Here's how:
- Read the blue text to see what you are researching.
- Evaluate Appropriateness using the guidelines above.
- Click on the to see if you evaluated properly!
- You're researching ancient cultures While in school, we are meant to be focusing on academic work. People magazine is meant to entertain us and is not suitable for school values. Therefore, the site does not pass the RADCAB test for Appropriateness.
- You're researching issues with sleep and learning This book has information related to your topic, but the reading level is very high. As a result, it would fail the RADCAB test for Appropriateness.
DETAIL
The DETAIL test asks whether the information you find is enough. Is the depth of coverage adequate? Is the breadth of coverage adequate? Are viewpoints missing?
Ask yourself:
- Are multiple viewpoints represented? What viewpoints are missing?
- Are opinions balanced with facts? Or is the information based only on the writer's opinion or emotions?
- Is the information accurate, complete and comprehensive?
Tip:
- Look for articles which provide facts and supporting evidence
- Look for named (not anonymous) sources, and links to supporting sources
- In a separate browser, search for the same information in other reputable sources. Does the information match?
- In a separate browser, search for quoted text. Was the text accurately quoted, or taken out of context?
QUIZ: Test your understanding of Detail on the sources below. Here's how:
- Read the blue text to see what you are researching.
- Evaluate Detail using the guidelines above.
- Click on the to see if you evaluated properly!
- You're researching name brand clothes This site contains opinions of the writer, not facts. As a result, it is missing details. It does not pass the RADCAB test for Detail.
- You're researching global warming This article presents only one viewpoint in the debate about global warming. Because other viewpoints are not included, you would want to continue researching to find information about other viewpoints. On its own, the article does not pass the RADCAB test for Detail.
- Compare this article to the one at "more" By looking at multiple articles, it appears that the player was misquoted. By searching for information in multiple sources, we can check to see if misquoting has occurred. In this case, the article would not pass the RADCAB test for Detail because it is inaccurate.
CURRENCY
The CURRENCY test asks when the information was published or last updated. For some topics like current events, the source's date can be very important.
Ask yourself:
- Is the information current enough for your project? Some projects require information that is very current. Understand the requirements of your project when judging currency.
Tip:
- Make sure links lead to current, not old, articles
- For photos, use reverse image search to be sure the image is not recycled from another event (see article here)
QUIZ: Test your understanding of Currency on the sources below. Here's how:
- Read the blue text to see what you are "researching".
- Evaluate CURRENCY using the guidelines above.
- Click on the to see if you evaluated properly!
- You're researching important Native American events taking place in 2017 On the third page of this book, the publishing date is shown next to the (c) symbol. It was published in 2010. The book will not have any 2017 events in it. For my project, this source fails the RADCAB test for Currency.
- You're researching the inauguration of the current president This article was published in 2001. The article does not talk about the inauguration of the current president. For my project, this source would fail the RADCAB test for Currency.
AUTHORITY
The AUTHORITY test asks who the author is, and whether they are an expert. Because anyone can publish a website, the authority test to check for expert qualifications is SUPER important.
Ask yourself:
- What credentials exist for the author or the publisher? What degrees, jobs or experience makes them an expert?
- Is the author an expert in the field? Are the credentials appropriate for the article?
- Does the source have an editorial or review process prior to publication? Was the author's work reviewed/edited before release, or did the source merely host and publish the author's work?
- What do other sources say about the author or publisher? Search for information about them. Are they well-respected as authoritative?
Tip:
- Look at the author's biography
- Be wary if no author is provided. Look into the credentials, expertise and review process of the publisher.
- Be wary of university sites which also contain a tilde (~) -- these pages are personal pages of employees or students, and do not necessarily represent the university's views.
- Search laterally: look for information about the author/publisher in other sources
- Use “link:” search command to see other websites that link to this one
- Use fact-checker sites (like Snopes) to check information
QUIZ: Test your understanding of Authority on the sources below. Here's how:
- Read the blue text to see what you are "researching".
- Evaluate Authority using the guidelines above.
- Click on the to see if you evaluated properly!
- You're researching the common cold The author listed at the end of the article (page 2) is a MD (a doctor). By clicking her hyperlinked name, I can see she is a Children's Urgent Care doctor. Because of her training to become a doctor, I I feel confident that she is well-informed about colds. Also, by looking at the site's "About Us" tab at the bottom of the page, I can see that the site is run by an organization in the medical field. For my project, this source passes the RADCAB test for Authority.
- You're researching volunteer workers The introduction to this database article gives information about the author's credentials as a journalist. She has won awards, including the honored Pulitzer. A quick browser search of the author's name lists some of her journalism background and awards. As a well-respected journalist, I believe she has the credentials to write this article. For my project, this source passes the RADCAB test for Authority.
- You're researching Ancient Egypt This site has no author listed. Though it comes from a .edu site, the "~" in the address shows this page to be the personal page of a professor or student. Because I cannot confirm who the author is, I should not rely on this site. For my project, this source does not pass the RADCAB test for Authority.
- You're researching Christopher Columbus This site looks nice, with it's slick graphics, pop-out map, and woodcut photo. However, the bio of the writer doesn't show the writer to be an expert. Further, reading the article shows inaccurate information. For my project, this source fails the RADCAB test for Authority. It's fun to read though!
BIAS
The BIAS test asks why the information was written. Was it written to inform you, persuade you, entertain you, or sell you something?
Ask yourself:
- What is the writer's motivation? The publisher's motivation? Who is the intended audience?
- Does the information present multiple perspectives to an issue? As a researcher, are you reading beyond the one perspective you hope to find, and actively considering other viewpoints?
- Try to detect bias in the writing by looking at important clues like the domain name, the domain suffix, the advertising featured, the mission statement, the authorship, and the tone of voice or language used
Tip:
- Look at the "About Us" or "Mission" sections of a website to understand the entity's mission
- Be wary of persuasive or highly emotional language intended to evoke strong feelings and detract from the facts
- Be wary of obvious stereotypes and easy solutions to complex problems (indications of bias and a lack of author expertise)
- Be wary of the impact of a "filter bubble" on the information you receive. Consider using non-tracking browser like DuckDuckGo to gather perspectives aside from your own.
QUIZ: Test your understanding of Bias on the sources below. Here's how:
- Read the blue text to see what you are "researching".
- Evaluate BIAS using the guidelines above.
- Click on the to see if you evaluated properly!
- You're researching the benefits and disadvantages of vitamins This site's purpose is to sell vitamins. I am looking for unbiased information about how vitamins help us. Although this site might have information about vitamins, their purpose is to sell vitamins, not provide balanced perspectives on the benefits and disadvantages of vitamins. As a result, this source fails the RADCAB test for Bias.
- You're researching solar-powered lanterns Though the information on solar-powered lanterns appears interesting and relevant, the site's "Our Credo" section shows them to report only uplifting, inspiring news. It raises the question of whether the coverage of this topic is balanced and fair, or whether one side of the topic might be missing. As a researcher, I am aware of the one-sided bias of this site. I will have to look elsewhere for information about other perspectives on this topic. As a result, using this site ONLY would fail the RADCAB test for Bias. Using this site WITH another site would be more appropriate.
- You're researching politics This source gives information about their bias underneath the website title. Also, by clicking "About Us", I can gain information about this source's perspective on politics. This site's bias is clear - it supports conservative views. As a standalone site about politics, it provides only one perspective and would fail the RADCAB test for Bias. However, if I researched other sources for other perspectives, I would gain a balanced perspective on my topic.
- You're researching different perspctives on seat belt laws This resource provides an "abstract", or summary of the article at the top. It also provides information about the article's author/speaker and his perspective. The article argues strongly for one perspective. Because my project involves looking at different perspectives on this issue, using this article as a standalone article would fail the RADCAB test. As a researcher in search of multiple perspectives, I would want to find another source which discusses perspectives different than this one.
