Relevancy
Information is relevant when it helps you answering your research question. You assess the information on the basis of format, content and degree of up-to-dateness.
Content and level of information
Ask yourself the following questions:
Which publications are most suitable depends on your information requirement. I.e. if you need current, in-depth information on a topic it is better to consult recent journal articles in stead of a handbook.
Currency
The term ‘current’ usually refers to recent events or developments. In order to determine whether information is current, check whether it still reflects the present situation. A book or article that was not written recently may still be current.
Usually current information is required, but not always. The importance of this criterion depends on your research question.
Completeness
Are you sure you haven‘t overlooked any relevant information? Have you considered all points of view? Although being comprehensive is usually not possible and at this stage in your academic career not strictly necessary, you should always try to be as complete as possible in the literature you are using for your research.
Reliability
How credible and objective is the information you found? There are several aspects to take into consideration when you are assessing how reliable your information is. These aspects relate to the origin of the information as well as its quality.
Authority
Check the content of the information you found on:
Accuracy
Objectivity
Verifiability
Citing a source correctly is important because it shows the reader where the information was found.
There are different ways of citing resources. BUas Library has created multiple LibGuides on referencing for AHF.
Do you want use images or pictures in your report? Please have a look at our BUas Libraryguide on Multimedia & Copyright.