READING AND

EVALUATING,
GRAPHICS, BOOKS,
AND ONLINE SOURCES
 Types
of Graphic
Information
1. Pictures
• Reveal details about a topic that written text
can never capture.
2. Maps
• Allows us to form a mental picture of places and
physical movements across a landscape
3. Graphs
• 1. Text Feature Line Graph
- Graphs that show changes in data over time
3. Graphs
• 2. Bar graphs
- Makes comparisons over time and between
groups
3. Graphs
• 3. Pictograph
- Represents data through pictures
3. Graphs
• 4. Pie Graph
- (often called pie charts)
- Shows parts of a whole
4. Charts
• Charts show organizational
relationships or processes
5. Diagrams
• Diagrams often provide a visual portrait of
how something works or is put together or of
how sets of data overlap
How to Analyze Graphic Information
• 1. Take an initial look at the graphic and/to determine what
kind it is.0

• 2. Determine the topic of the graphic.

• 3. Read all the accompanying text.

• 4. Look closely at the graphic itself.

• 5. Pay attention to how graphics adds to or complements

the text
Graphics Information / Infographics

• Are graphic visual representations of information, data or

knowledge intended to present quickly and clearly.

• They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to

enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns
and trends.
How to Evaluate Books
 Authority/authorship
 Who is the author and what is their expertise in the subject area?
 Do they have any professional affiliations?
 Is their work experience or education relevant? Are any of their other publications
relevant?

 Currency/timeliness
 When was it published?
 Is the information still relevant?
 Has the book been updated? Is there a more recent edition?

 Coverage/relevance
 Is the book relevant to your topic?
 Does it have the depth you require?
 Review the table of contents and the index to confirm the information you require
is covered in the book and to what extent.
How to Evaluate Books
 Purpose/audience
 What is the author’s motivation?
 Who are the intended readers? The content will vary depending on the book’s
targeted audience. It could be very general and introduce the readers to a
subject. Conversely, the content could be very specific, aimed at other scholars in
the field.

 Accuracy/documentation
 Is there a bibliography or list of references?
 Can you identify research data?
 What was the editorial process?
 Is this information reliable?

 Objectivity/thoroughness
 What perspectives are given, or ignored?
 Be alert for bias. The author may represent only one side of a topic or argument.
 Evaluating
Online Sources
Evaluating Online Sources
 Author
 Is the name of the author/creator on the page?
 Are his/her credentials listed (occupation, years of experience, position
or education)?
 Is the author qualified to write on the given topic? Why?
 Is there contact information, such as an email address, somewhere on
the page?
 Is there a link to a homepage?
 If there is a link to a homepage, is it for an individual or for an
organization?
 If the author is with an organization, does it appear to support or sponsor
the page?
 What does the domain name/URL reveal about the source of the
information, if anything?
Evaluating Online Sources
 Purpose
 Who is the intended audience?
 Scholarly audience or experts?
 General public or novices?

 If not stated, what do you think is the purpose of the site?

 Inform or Teach?
 Explain or Enlighten?
 Persuade?
 Sell a Product?
Evaluating Online Sources
 Objectivity
 Is the information covered fact, opinion, or propaganda?
 Is the author's point-of-view objective and impartial?
 Is the language free of emotion-rousing words and bias?
 Is the author affiliated with an organization?
 Does the author's affiliation with an institution or organization appear to
bias the information?
 Does the content of the page have the official approval of the institution,
organization, or company?
Evaluating Online Sources
 Accuracy
 Are the sources for factual information clearly listed so that the
information can be verified?
 Is it clear who has the ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of the
content of the material?
 Can you verify any of the information in independent sources or from
your own knowledge?
 Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
 Is the information free of grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors?
Evaluating Online Sources
 Reliability and Credibility
 Why should anyone believe information from this site?
 Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it
unsupported by evidence?
 Are quotes and other strong assertions backed by sources that you
could check through other means?
 What institution (company, government, university, etc.) supports this
information?
 If it is an institution, have you heard of it before? Can you find more
information about it?
 Is there a non-Web equivalent of this material that would provide a way
of verifying its legitimacy?
Evaluating Online Sources
 Currency
 If timeliness of the information is important, is it kept up-to-date?
 Is there an indication of when the site was last updated?

 Links
 Are links related to the topic and useful to the purpose of the site?
 Are links still current, or have they become dead ends?
 What kinds of sources are linked?
 Are the links evaluated or annotated in any way?
 Note: The quality of Web pages linked to the original Web page may
vary; therefore, you must always evaluate each Web site independently.
Plagiarism
 to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as
one's own
 to use (another's production) without crediting the source
 to commit literary theft
 to present as new and original an idea or product derived
from an existing source
But can words and ideas really be stolen?

According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of

original ideas is considered intellectual property and is
protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions.

Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection

as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book
or a computer file).
But can words and ideas really be stolen?

According to U.S. law, the answer is yes. The expression of

original ideas is considered intellectual property and is
protected by copyright laws, just like original inventions.

Almost all forms of expression fall under copyright protection

as long as they are recorded in some way (such as a book
or a computer file).
All of the following are considered plagiarism:

 turning in someone else's work as your own

 copying words or ideas from someone else without giving
credit
 failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
 giving incorrect information about the source of a
quotation
 changing words but copying the sentence structure of a
source without giving credit
 copying so many words or ideas from a source that it
makes up the majority of your work, whether you give
credit or not.
6 Ways to Avoid
Plagiarism
1. Paraphrasing

 So you have found information that is perfect for your

research paper. Read it and put it into your own words.
Make sure that you do not copy verbatim more than two
words in a row from the text you have found. If you do
use more than two words together, you will have to use
quotation marks.
2. Cite

 Citing is one of the effective ways to avoid plagiarism.

Follow the document formatting guidelines (i.e. APA,
MLA, Chicago, etc.) used by your educational institution
or the institution that issued the research request. This
usually entails the addition of the author(s) and the date
of the publication or similar information. Citing is really
that simple. Not citing properly can constitute plagiarism.
3. Quote

 When quoting a source, use the quote exactly the way it

appears. No one wants to be misquoted. Most institutions
of higher learning frown on “block quotes” or quotes of 40
words or more. A scholar should be able to effectively
paraphrase most material. This process takes time, but
the effort pays off! Quoting must be done correctly to
avoid plagiarism allegations.
4. Citing Quotes

 Citing a quote can be different than citing paraphrased

material. This practice usually involves the addition of a
page number, or a paragraph number in the case of web
content.
5. Citing your own Material

 If some of the material you are using for your research

paper was used by you in your current class, a previous
one, or anywhere else you must cite yourself. Treat the
text the same as you would if someone else wrote it. It
may sound odd, but using material you have used before
is called self-plagiarism, and it is not acceptable.
6. Referencing

 One of the most important ways to avoid plagiarism is

including a reference page or page of works cited at the
end of your research paper. Again, this page must meet
the document formatting guidelines used by your
educational institution. This information is very specific
and includes the author(s), date of publication, title, and
source. Follow the directions for this page carefully. You
will want to get the references right.
ACTIVITY
Identify which kind of GRAPH is best suited to be used to better
represent the given data

• 1. Favorite Programming Language

Java HTML JavaScript Ruby C++
4 5 6 1 4

• 2. • 3. A Total of 50 People has been rescued

from the rubbles. 15 of them are
found dead, 26 people are in serious
conditions and the remaining ones
only has minor injuries.
• Give at least three ways to Evaluate Books

ACTIVITY
•

•
Give at least three ways to Evaluate Online Sources

Enumerate the 6 ways to avoid Plagiarism