As a student and in the workplace, you will need to be able to find and use information effectively. This includes using academic sources to gather information, as well as evaluating the credibility and reliability of the information you gathered.
Complete Parts 1 and 2 below to demonstrate your ability to find and use information. In Part 1, you will find and evaluate 2 sources from at least 2 different databases in the University Library, such as EBSCOhost and ProQuest. In Part 2, you will write a brief 150- to 200-word response describing your experience using the library databases. This is a required part of the assessment.
Part 1: Source Evaluation
Select only one of the following topics for this assessment:
• Affordable Care Act
• Career exploration
• Concussions and the NFL
• Cyberbullying
• Financial literacy
• Global women’s rights
• Health care disparities
• Healthy life habits
• Homeland security
• Immigration
• Information security
• Mindfulness in business or education
• Obesity
• Online predators
• Renewable energy
• Social media
• Technology in education
Locate 2 articles related to your selected topic from different databases, such as EBSCOhost and ProQuest, in the University HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/home” HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/home”Library. (Select the Research Databases icon for a list of library databases.) You may also refer to the course-specific library resources found on the GEN/201 HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/GEN201r11/overview” HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/GEN201r11/overview”University HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/GEN201r11/overview” HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/GEN201r11/overview”Success page for search tips and direct links to the EBSCOhost and ProQuest databases.
Answer the questions below to evaluate each article you have chosen. An example answer set is provided first. Make sure to refer to the guidelines on the Evaluate HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/evaluating_sources” HYPERLINK “https://library.phoenix.edu/evaluating_sources”Sources page in the University Library as you evaluate each article.
Example
Example answers to each question have been provided for you below.
• What topic did you choose?
Social media
• What is the title of the article?
“Effect of Social Media Use on Learning, Social Interactions, and Sleep Duration Among University Students”
• Who are the authors of the article?
Kolhar, Manjur; Kazi, Raisa Nazir Ahmed; Alameen, Abdalla
• Currency: When was the article published? Is the article current?
2021. The article was published within the past 3 years, so the information can be considered current.
• Relevance: Is the article relevant to your selected topic? Explain your response.
The article is relevant because it discusses issues related to the selected topic of social media.
• Accuracy: Is the information in the article accurate? How do you know?
The information in the article can be considered accurate. First, the article is peer-reviewed which ensures that it has been verified by other experts on this topic. Also, there is cited evidence and research throughout the article.
• Authority: Is the author, publisher, or source of the information credible? How do you know?
The article was published in a reputable academic publication, The Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. The authors of the article are all affiliated with or employed by the Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia, and therefore can be considered credible.
• Purpose: What is the purpose of the article? Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda? How do you know?
The purpose of the article is to inform readers about the effects social media use has on university students’ learning, social interactions, and sleep duration. The authors relied on facts and research for their analysis. They did not provide an opinion-based piece.
• Bias: Does the author demonstrate any bias toward the topic? Why or why not? Explain.
• No, the authors did not demonstrate any bias. They conducted a cross-sectional survey and used descriptive and inferential statistical analyses to derive a conclusion. The authors also included a declaration of competing interest wherein they stated they have no competing financial interest or personal relationships that influenced their study.
• After evaluating the source using the CRAAP (currency, relevance, accuracy, authority, and purpose) method, do you think this is a good source to use in an academic research assignment? Why or why not?
This would be a good source to use in an academic research assignment because it is informative and fact-based. This article meets all 5 criteria in the CRAAP method for evaluating the credibility of research sources.
First Source
Answer each of the questions on a new line.
• What topic did you choose?
• What is the title of the article?
• Who are the authors of the article?
• Currency: When was the article published? Is the article current?
• Relevance: Is the article relevant to your selected topic? Explain your response.
• Accuracy: Is the information in the article accurate? How do you know?
• Authority: Is the author, publisher, or source of the information credible? How do you know?
• Purpose: What is the purpose of the article? Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda? How do you know?
• Bias: Does the author demonstrate any bias toward the topic? Why or why not? Explain.
•
• After evaluating the source using the CRAAP (currency, relevance, accuracy, authority, and purpose) method, do you think this is a good source to use in an academic research assignment? Why or why not?
Second Source
Answer each of the questions on a new line.
• What topic did you choose?
• What is the title of the article?
• Who are the authors of the article?
• Currency: When was the article published? Is the article current?
• Relevance: Is the article relevant to your selected topic? Explain your response.
• Accuracy: Is the information in the article accurate? How do you know?
• Authority: Is the author, publisher, or source of the information credible? How do you know?
• Purpose: What is the purpose of the article? Is the information fact, opinion, or propaganda? How do you know?
• Bias: Does the author demonstrate any bias toward the topic? Why or why not? Explain.
•
• After evaluating the source using the CRAAP (currency, relevance, accuracy, authority, and purpose) method, do you think this is a good source to use in an academic research assignment? Why or why not?
Part 2: University Library Experience
Write a 150- to 200-word response to the following prompts. Enter your response on a new line below the prompts.
• Briefly describe your experience using the library databases (e.g., EBSCOhost, ProQuest) to research your chosen topic. Remember to include the names of the 2 databases you used. Discuss any challenges you encountered.
• What strategies will you use to find sources in the University Library going forward?
