Next I want to talk about the digital information explosion and offer a technique you can use to help weed out the bad information from the good.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve ever done any online research, you probably know what I mean when I say there\u2019s some good information out there but there\u2019s also a lot of information that\u2019s not so good.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s because anyone can publish any information on the Internet.\u00a0 The information doesn\u2019t have to be well researched.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t have to be verified for correctness.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t even have to be edited.<\/p>\n
All that\u2019s needed is a web site and someone to put it there.\u00a0 And that can be a problem when you\u2019re trying to find reliable information about whatever topic you\u2019re searching.<\/p>\n
So where do you start?<\/p>\n
Most people start reading on the first search engine results page and work their way down the listings that appear on this page.\u00a0 Most people never even make it to the second page of search engine results or beyond.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not necessarily bad as long as you remember that a high search page rank doesn\u2019t necessarily mean the information you\u2019ll find on that site is accurate.\u00a0 There are ways to get a web site ranked higher than the hundreds of others that might also maintain information about the same topic.<\/p>\n
However, a high ranking doesn’t necessarily mean the information on a highly-ranked site is inaccurate, either.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you need to know what to look for.<\/p>\n
Most important is to know whether the source of the information you are reading is dependable.\u00a0 If it\u2019s published by a government agency, a reputable educational institution, or a newspaper you\u2019ve actually heard of before, the information is probably worth a closer look.<\/p>\n
When you look more closely, check out the author to help determine whether he or she is credible.\u00a0 An easy technique is by looking for information about the author\u2019s background, credentials and\/or affiliations.<\/p>\n
You should also try to determine whether or not the author might be biased.\u00a0 If you\u2019re reading a story about a product that has a questionable track record or a lot of controversy surrounding it, and the story puts a positive spin on the product, there\u2019s always a chance the author might not have objectively presented the facts.\u00a0 If you find this to be the case, consider moving on.<\/p>\n
Some other information you can find out simply from the page is whether or not the information presented is recent or recently revised.\u00a0 You can also check to see whether the author lists sources, references, footnotes and any other information that can help substantiate and validate the information being presented.<\/p>\n
Finally, take a look at what\u2019s written and ask, \u201cDoes this even make sense?\u201d\u00a0 If the information is confusing, inconsistent, incomplete, or irrelevant, or if it contains grammatical and spelling errors, don\u2019t waste any more time on it.\u00a0 Move on until you find a more trustworthy source.<\/p>\n
Once you find information you want to keep, make sure it\u2019s saved in a way that\u2019s organized and easily retrievable.\u00a0 Most importantly, try to resist the temptation to print everything out.\u00a0 Whether electronic or printed, nothing\u2019s worse than being buried under a disorganized pile of papers!<\/p>\n
Video Version of Post
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