Evaluating Information

Introduction

Every day, you're surrounded by information — from books, websites, adverts, news, social media, conversations, and more. But not all information is equally trustworthy. Some is based on solid evidence and careful research. Some is inaccurate, misleading, or even deliberately false.

Evaluating information means deciding how reliable, accurate, and trustworthy a piece of information is. This is one of the most important skills for the FSCE 11+ exam, and it's also one of the most important skills for life.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to assess whether information is reliable, how to judge whether an argument is convincing, and how to weigh up different types of evidence.

What Makes Information Reliable?

Reliable information is information you can trust. Here are the key questions to ask:

graph TD
    A["Is the source expert?"] --> E["RELIABLE"]
    B["Is the evidence specific?"] --> E
    C["Is it balanced and fair?"] --> E
    D["Is it recent and up to date?"] --> E
    F["Is the source unknown?"] --> J["UNRELIABLE"]
    G["Is the evidence vague?"] --> J
    H["Is it one-sided?"] --> J
    I["Is it outdated?"] --> J
    style E fill:#e8f5e9
    style J fill:#fce4ec

Five Questions for Evaluating Information

1. Who said it? Is the source an expert or someone with specialist knowledge? A doctor talking about health is more reliable than a random social media post.

2. What evidence is given? Are there specific facts, statistics, or research studies? Or is it just someone's opinion?

3. When was it written? Information can go out of date. A science article from 1990 may no longer be accurate.

4. Why was it written? Is the purpose to inform (neutral) or to persuade/sell something (potentially biased)?

5. Is it balanced? Does it present different points of view, or only one side?

Strong Evidence vs Weak Evidence

Strong Evidence	Weak Evidence
Published research studies	"Everyone knows that..."
Official statistics from governments or organisations	"My friend told me..."
Expert opinions from qualified professionals	Anonymous internet comments
Multiple independent sources agreeing	A single person's experience
Specific numbers and data	Vague claims without data
Recent, up-to-date information	Very old information

Framework for Evaluation Answers

When the FSCE exam asks you to evaluate a claim, use this framework:

Step 1: State whether you think the claim is convincing or not. Step 2: Identify the strongest piece of evidence FOR the claim. Step 3: Identify the strongest piece of evidence AGAINST the claim (or identify what evidence is missing). Step 4: Make your judgement — is the evidence strong enough to support the claim?

Worked Examples

Worked Example 1: Evaluating a Claim

Claim: "Screen time is harmful to children's health."

Evidence given: "A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2023, involving 10,000 children aged 8-12, found that children who spent more than 3 hours per day on screens had 40% higher rates of sleep problems and were twice as likely to report feeling anxious."

Evaluation:

• Source: The British Medical Journal is a respected, peer-reviewed medical journal. This is a strong source.
• Evidence: The study is specific — it gives the sample size (10,000 children), the age range (8-12), the threshold (3+ hours), and specific findings (40% more sleep problems, twice the anxiety). This is strong evidence.
• Limitations: The study shows correlation (screen time and poor sleep happen together) but doesn't necessarily prove causation (screen time causes poor sleep). Also, it only looked at children who spent more than 3 hours — moderate screen time might be fine.
• Judgement: The evidence reasonably supports the claim that excessive screen time may be harmful, but doesn't prove that all screen time is harmful.

Worked Example 2: Comparing Two Sources

Source A: A post on social media says: "Don't drink milk! It's poison! I stopped drinking milk and I feel so much better!"

Source B: The NHS website says: "Milk is a good source of calcium, which is important for strong bones. Most health professionals recommend including dairy products as part of a balanced diet. Some people are lactose intolerant and may need alternatives."

Evaluation:

Criteria	Source A	Source B
Who?	Anonymous social media user	NHS (UK's national health service)
Evidence?	Personal experience only	General health guidance based on medical knowledge
Balanced?	No — one-sided and extreme ("poison")	Yes — notes that some people can't tolerate dairy
Language?	Emotional and exaggerated	Calm, factual, measured
Reliable?	Low reliability	High reliability

Conclusion: Source B is far more reliable because it comes from a qualified, expert organisation, uses balanced language, and acknowledges different situations.

Worked Example 3: What's Missing?

Claim: "Our school is the best in the area. Last year, 95% of our students passed their exams."

What seems strong: 95% is a very high pass rate.