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Academic Skills in Nursing and Midwifery: Evaluating Information

There are two parts to evaluating information:

1. the format of the information

2. the quality of what is actually said.

The first step is to evaluate the format of the information.  In the beginning you will use the 4 R's to do this, however as you progress you will use more sophisticated frameworks and tools, and develop the skills to 'just know' what you are looking for.  In doing this you will be able to increase the range of information formats used.

Evaluating quality comes with knowledge, experience and critical thinking.  Getting into a routine of using credible information, that is peer-reviewed  and sourced from scholarly sources, such as databases will help you develop your knowledge, experience and critical thinking skills.  It also allows you to 'rest easy' in your early years of study that the standard of information you are using meets your assignment requirements.