In previous pages, we explored various methods for evaluating the credibility of the information you gather. These techniques should greatly assist you in addressing this challenge. However, even if all the information you've collected is credible, you still need to determine whether it is "relevant" to the main claim, argument, theme, or idea of your research task.
Thus, learning "how to evaluate the relevance of information to the main claim, argument, theme, or idea of your research task" is another essential information literacy skill you need to develop.
With numerous research tasks at university, we'll focus on a common one—conducting a literature review. For more examples, refer to the relevant sections in our discipline modules.
In summary, a strong literature review should accomplish several key objectives. Click to expand and view a checklist of questions to help evaluate the relevance of information for your research task.
| Convey the current state of research in the field to reader | |
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Content: Relational: |
| Identify (in previous research) the gap which a new research question can address | |
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Competency: Content: Learning to learn: Relational: |
| Give evidence to justify the value and need for research | |
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Personal Relevance: Social Impact: |