Assessing and selecting: Relevance

Information suitable for purpose

• Does the information answer your (research) question?
• Does the information portray a general picture or does it also reflect exceptions and specific areas?
• Do quality and academic level match the (research) question and goal? If you research depression, an article from the Libelle or Quote will not have the required quality level. Articles from professional journals and scientific journals are better suited. (See: Information sources)

Completeness: Did you not overlook relevant information and did you take all selected opinions into account? Entirely complete is impossible and usually not necessary.

Does the type of source (manual, reference book, journal article, thesis, web page, etc.) match your information needs?

If you are looking for background information, you should consult a (reference) book or a website rather than read an overcomplete research article.

To determine whether information is up-to-date, you can check whether information pertaining to a specific year is still in line with current perceptions. Certain data do not change. An older book or journal article can still be current. Publications that continue to hold their value are called core publications.

Usually it is important to find recent information, but not always. So it depends on the (research) question and goal.