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Sources of Information

The document categorizes sources of information into primary, secondary, and tertiary, based on originality and proximity to the source. It outlines the characteristics and examples of each type, emphasizing the importance of evaluating information sources based on criteria such as currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. This evaluation is crucial for identifying reliable information in an age of abundant online content.

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natasha muunganirwa
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9 views11 pages

Sources of Information

The document categorizes sources of information into primary, secondary, and tertiary, based on originality and proximity to the source. It outlines the characteristics and examples of each type, emphasizing the importance of evaluating information sources based on criteria such as currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose. This evaluation is crucial for identifying reliable information in an age of abundant online content.

Uploaded by

natasha muunganirwa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOURCES OF

INFORMATION
SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
 Sources of information are categorized
as primary, secondary and tertiary
material
 These classifications are based on the
originality of the material and the
proximity of the source or origin
 This informs the reader as to whether
the author is reporting information that
is first hand or is conveying the
experiences of thers which is second
hand
PRIMARY SOURCES
 These sources are records of events as
they are first described or how they
actually happened without any
commentary
 This is original material which displays
original thinking, reports new
information or share fresh information
 Examples are: theses, dissertations,
government reports, original artwork,
poems, photographs, speeches, letters,
memos, diaries, interviews and
autobiograhies
SECONDARY SOURCES
 These sources offer an analysis of
primary sources
 They often try to describe or explain
primary sources
 They tend to be works that summarise,
interpret, reorganise or add value to a
primary source
 Examples are: textbooks, edited works,
histories, biographies, literary criticism,
reviews of laws and legislation, political
analyses and commentaries
TERTIARY SOURCES
 These are sources that index, organise,
compile or digest other sources
 Some reference materials and textbooks are
considered tertiary sources when their chief
purpose is to list, summarise or simply
repackage ideas or other information
 Tertiary sources are usually not credited to a
particular author
 Examples are: dictionaries, encyclopaedias,
fact books, Wikipedia, bibliographies,
guidebooks, manuals, indexing and
abstracting sources
EVALUATION OF
INFORMATION SOURCES
 With the amount of information on the
internet, it is very important that you
develop skills to assist in identifying
reliable sources of information
CURRENCY
 This is the timeliness of the information
 Ask these questions:
 -when was the information published or
posted?
 -has the information been revised or
updated?
 -are the links provided funtional
RELEVANCE
 This is the importance of the information
for your needs
 Ask yourself these questions:
 -does the information relate to your
topic or answer your question?
 -who is the intended audience?
 -have you looked at a variety of sources
before determining this is the one you
will use?
 -would you be comfortable citing this
source in your research paper?
AUTHORITY
 This is the source of the information
 Ask these questions:
 -who is the author and publisher?
 -what are the author’s credentials or
organisational affiliations?
 -is the author qualified to write on the
topic?
ACCURACY
 This is the reliability, truthfulness and
correctness of the content
 -where does the information come from?
 -is the information supported by evidence?
 -has the information been reviewed or
refereed?
 - can you verify any of the information in
another source?
 -does the language or tone seem unbiased
and free from emotion?
 -are there spelling, grammatical or
typographical errors?
PURPOSE
 This is the reason why the information
exists
 -what is the purpose of the information?
 -is it to inform, teach, sell, entertain or
persuade?
 -is the information fact, opinion or
propaganda?
 -does the point of view appear objective
and impartial?
 -are there political, ideological, cultural,
religious, institutional or personal biases?

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