Information Scenarios: Evaluation
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  1. Overview
  2. The Assignment
  3. Variations on a Theme
  4. Supporting Content
  5. Evaluation
The Internet and print resources are not always the answer:

Scenario #1
Raianne needs information from a variety of sources; this is what her assignment tells her. However, before she can look too far, she needs to decide on a topic that is sufficiently narrow. So in this case, the need to choose a topic is the most pressing information need. Perhaps she knows a woman mathematician who could give her guidance, but it is more likely that Raianne will need to look in a book for information.
She needs to determine what information is available before she gets too far into the research process. Once she has chosen a topic, a good strategy would be to identify keywords that relate to her topic. This will help her be more successful in her searches. She could then look for resources using the library catalog and periodical databases. She could tie in local information by interviewing a local mathematician or by searching ProQuest's collection of local newspapers. Internet resources should be the last priority, and would only be used to fill in small details.

Scenario #2
Carlos needs direction. While he could look for information in career books or look through job listings, this won't help him decide on the right future career. In this instance, the best source of information would be an advisor at the college's Career Center. A strategy he could use would be to make an appointment with the Career Center early in the quarter (so that he will have time to explore ideas before he must register for the next quarter). He could work with an advisor to identify strengths and interests. At that point, he could do his own research: looking in career books for details, looking at transfer colleges and their requirements, and talking with those in fields that he is interested in.

Scenario #3
Any medical concern should first be addressed by a doctor. Although Juan doesn't feel that his pain is significant enough to warrant immediate attention, he needs to have his ankle checked as soon as possible. He could be causing long-term damage that would be preventable if treated. Books and the Internet are never adequate substitutes for the advice of a physician.

Scenario #4
Lilia needs two pieces of information:
  1. the name of the piece of music
  2. copyright and other restrictions to its use
She will not likely find the name of the piece in a book. The film credits could tell her the needed information. The Internet is an excellent resource for questions of this nature. She could go to an Internet movie information site to look up the film and see what sort of information is included about the music used in the film. She could also look to see if the soundtrack was sold through an online retailer. Online retailers often let you listen to clips of music, which would help Lilia identify the correct piece of music. If she was still unable to identify the piece, she might want to contact an expert in film soundtracks/film scores. She could contact a college music department or a classical music radio station to identify an expert in this field.

Once the piece of music has been identified, Lilia must identify the appropriate use of the music. Is the music covered by copyright or subject to royalties? These are important questions that are often overlooked. She will need to contact the music publisher/composer/distributer to see what is required if she uses the music for a dance performance.