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Real Lives |
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Information is available from many different places and in a wide variety of formats. But the reliability of that information also exists within a wide range!
 Reliability Perhaps the best way to think of the reliability of information is to think of it as existing on a continuum, rather than falling into the categories of reliable or unreliable. Information can range from very unreliable to highly reliable and also anywhere in between. How can you judge the reliability of the information that you find? One way is to compare the information about the same topic across multiple sources. This activity will give you some practice in that comparison.
Below you will find links to three articles about Elvis Presley.
Which one would you judge as having the highest reliability?
Which one would you place lowest on the reliability scale? Which
one might fall somewhere in between? Use the worksheet entitled
"Judging Reliability
by Comparing Sources" to record your responses.
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Another way to judge the reliability or credibility of the information you find is to put it to a test! Use important questions about the source that will help to judge its trustworthiness. Some of those "test" questions might be the following:
Now practice using these "test" questions. Use Google to find a biographical article about your famous person. Then use the worksheet entitled "Information Reliability Survey" to put that information to a reliability test!
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 Activity #3
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For those who want a quicker tool for assessing reliability, a scale of numbers can be used to judge different aspects of the information and its quality. A rating between 1 and 5 can be used to judge each separate aspect, and then the total overall score can be tallied.
Now use Google to find another biographical article about your famous person. Then use the Information Reliability Scoring Tool to rate that information's reliability! If time allows, find a fan magazine or another print source that has information about your famous person. Then use the Information Reliability Scoring Tool again to rate that information's reliability and compare its score with the score for the web page you found in the step above. |
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 Activity #4
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Examine the magazine rack or newstand at a bookstore or supermarket. Most likely you will find both sensational tabloids and well- respected journals, often displayed side by side! Keep in mind that the Internet is like that, too. Highly reliable sites exist as well as complete hoaxes! And sometimes those hoaxes are not marked as such! Click the link below to see an example of an Internet site that is a complete hoax!
It is important to remember that anyone can publish on the Internet. That makes it especially important to be careful with the information that you obtain from websites. Often it is a good idea to examine print sources first, or at the same time that you are researching a topic on the Internet. Print sources tend to be higher on the reliability continuum because they are usually checked by editors before they are published, and a publishing company's business often relies on its reputation for credibility However, this does not guarantee that print sources will be free of bias. The following articles contain information regarding the potential of bias in the media today.
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By now you have been reading your biography or autobiography, as well as conducting research about your famous person. Write a reflection in your sourcebook in which you compare the information you are learning about the person in your biography book to the information you have found in other sources. Points to consider:
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