Information evaluation

Judge whether information and its sources are relevant, reliable and credible.

Why it matters

Before relying on information, consider where it comes from, how it was gathered and whether it answers your question. A source may be useful for one purpose but offer too little support for another.

What this can look like

• checks who produced a claim and what evidence they offer
• compares accounts of the same issue and investigates differences
• explains why a source is useful for a particular question

Youth relevance

When researching coursework or checking a claim shared by friends, young people can look beyond a summary to the original source before deciding what to use or pass on.

Ways young people can practise this skill

• compare sources on the same question and consider which are relevant and reliable
• trace a shared claim to its original source and consider what evidence supports it
• choose information for a presentation and explain why the sources are suitable

Connected themes

• Main theme · Critical thinking
• Digital literacy