Information Interrogation (Wayne College)

It's important to distinguish between information that falls into your lap and information you have sought.  Understanding how information is produced and promoted will help with this question.

Ask yourself: How did I access this information?

• Did I search for it and seek it out?
• Did the information appear in a feed or as part of my social network bubble?
• Do you have the entire work or an abstract?
• How can you track down more information about the info being presented? 

Also consider: If the complete work isn't readily available, how will I track it down?

• Begin your research early so that availability of a complete work does not become a deal-breaker and force you to use sources that are not as valuable.
• Create a timeline for tracking down sources.  If the source you're waiting for doesn't show up in time, have a back-up plan:
  • Can you get an extension on the project?
  • Is there another way you can get the source? (For example, if you're waiting on a book to arrive through OhioLINK, is there another copy in OhioLINK that you can drive to access in a pinch?)
  • Is the source you're waiting on available in another format that you can access more quickly? (For example, is all or part of a book you're waiting for available in Google Books?)

How much do you know about filter bubbles?

How does your search history and browsing habits affect your Google results?

How do your social media habits (what you like, follow, etc.) affect what appears in your feed?

How often do you purposefully seek out and review information that would fall outside of your common searching and browsing realm?