Library Basics Week 4: Choosing the right resources
When searching for books, articles and multimedia to support your learning, you’ll have to make decisions about which information to examine more closely. That starts with making sure you have a good range to select from.
Often Library Search, databases, Google and other search tools turn up too many results to go through when you first start out. If this is the case, try refining your search by limiting the resource types or changing your keywords to make them more specific.
Once you have a good selection of resources to choose from, you’ll need to evaluate your information to determine its suitability for use. Watch the video below and look at the tips to learn how to evaluate information.
The CRAAP test is an easy to remember tool to help you with evaluating information:
- Currency: How old is the item? Is there anything more recent?
- Relevance: Does this answer your question or support your argument?
- Authority: Who wrote the item? Are they qualified or affiliated with a university
- Accuracy: How reliable is the information? Has this been peer-reviewed?
- Purpose: Is it fact or opinion or other, and are there any biases?
You might also enjoy this video:
Other Library Basics blogs
Are you in your first trimester at Deakin or returning to study after a break? We’ve got you covered. Each week, we’re sharing a library tip, tool or service we think you should know about. The library is key to your success at uni – make the most of everything we have to offer by following our Library Basics!