There's tons of information online.
But if it's not related to what you're looking for, it's useless to you.
A source is relevant if it's connected to the topic you're researching.
Looking For Relevance
To determine if a source is relevant, ask yourself:
Is it useful?
Is it the right type of source?
Is the information too broad or too specific?
Useful
When deciding if the information you found is useful for your topic, consider some of the following questions:
Can you do the action or skill immediately, with tools or items you have right now?
Does the information add to what you already know, or make you question what you know?
Does the source add new information, or confirm information that can be found elsewhere?
If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, the information may be relevant for you!
Type Of Source
It is important to consider the type of source thatis appropriate for your needs.
Do you need a book or a scholarly journal article?
Do you need primary or secondary sources of information?
Quiz
Deciding if an information source is appropriate can be challenging...which of these sources of information may not be credible for research?
Too Broad / Too Specific
Is the information too broad or too specific?
Broad means that the content is too wide and general.
You should attempt to focus on more specific information.
Specific means that the content is clearly identified and detailed.
It is common to change your search words when researching a topic. You can never be sure of what you may find. You may find too much information and need to narrow your focus, or too little and need to broaden your focus. This is a normal part of the research process.
Summary
No one question is enough to determine relevance. It takes multiple factors and you should take them all into consideration.
No matter what you are doing, it is important to look at multiple sources to get all of the information, perspectives, and sides of the story.
Your feedback matters to us.
This Byte helped me better understand the topic.