Comparison of Information Sources

Purpose: Develop awareness of the characteristics and usefulness of a variety

of information sources.

Assignment: Select a research topic. Compare how that topic is treated in

two to five different types of sources, such as journals, magazines, newspapers, encyclopedias, the Internet, and books. Provide a brief comparative assessment of how the topic was presented in the different resources. (Depending on the discipline, research topic or learning goals,

instructors may wish to provide students with more targeted criteria for

evaluation [e.g., author and audience, bias, etc.].)

Understanding Primary Sources

Purpose: Teaches differentiation between primary/secondary sources in a discipline. Shows when and why to use each.

Assignment: Compare and contrast primary and secondary sources on the same topic. Note the similarities and differences in the sources’ content, purpose, audience, and treatment of the topic. Summarize the major connections between the primary and secondary sources, and note major distinctions between them. Address what information the primary source provides, and how this compares with that given in the secondary source.

Autobiography and Secondary Sources

Purpose: Teaches differentiation between primary/secondary sources in a discipline. Shows when and why to use each. Demonstrates how secondary sources include interpretation and analysis of events described in a primary source.

Assignment: Choose an autobiography of someone whose life is related to the course content. Then find secondary sources which deal with an idea or event described in the autobiography. Compare and contrast the sources. Summarize the major connections between the primary and secondary sources, and note major distinctions between them. Address what information the primary source provides, and how this compares with that given in the secondary source.

Comparing Print and Web Resources

Purpose: Students develop a greater awareness of differences and similarities between print and online resources, as well as a heightened sensitivity to evaluative criteria for such sources.

Assignment: In groups of 3-5, examine one print resource (e.g., book, print journal) and one online resource (e.g., web site, online journal). Determine indicators of quality for each item, where exactly you found those indicators, and the appropriate use for each resource. In your evaluation note similarities and distinctions between the print and the online materials.  Compare these sources in terms of your evaluative process of them, their quality, and the appropriate uses of the sources. Report on your findings to the class after everyone has also evaluated the sites.