Step 6 - Evaluate what you find

• After you have gathered all of your information it is very important to evaluate it carefully. Then you know you have the best information available to you. 

• The criteria you should consider when evaluating your information are:

Currency – refers to how up-to-date the information is.
Coverage – determines whether the information is an overview or in depth, international or local, etc.
Authority – determines the author’s credentials or publisher’s reputation and the accuracy of the information.
Accuracy – ensures the information is correct.
Objectivity – determines the degree to which information is based on observation and presented factually.
Scholarly/Popular – determines the intended audience: by and for professionals or for the general public.
Usefulness – refers to the appropriateness of the information.

• To learn more about evaluation click here.

For example: If you were searching the Internet for the best hiking boots to buy, the information you would find on a company's site would not be objective enough to base your purchase on.

  The information you have gathered should completely answer the question you had when you began your research. The final step is to compare what you have found to your original question. Determine if you have found what you were looking for, if not you should try going through these steps again.  

Introduction click here.