Using Information (Edexcel IGCSE Ict)
Evaluating information
Spec point —
3.9.4
How can you evaluate information?
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To evaluate information you check it is fit for purpose
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To be fit for purpose you check a sources:
- Accuracy
- Age
- Relevance
- Reliability
- Bias
| What to check | How? | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | - Check that information is from a reputable source - Does the information match other reputable sources - Does the source provide any evidence | - Information could be: - Incomplete - False |
| Age | - Check publication date | - Old or now false - Too recent |
| Relevance | - Check information's topic matches exactly what you were searching for | - Ensure information matches topic you wanted |
| Reliability | - Compare information against other sources of the same information | - If it does not match it could be false or inaccurate |
| Bias | - Does the source consider different viewpoints - Is the source just facts or does it give extra context - If source contains data/statistics, where did they come from? | - Information could be prejudiced - Only looking at one side of an argument/viewpoint |
Understanding copyright & plagiarism
Spec point —
3.9.5
What is copyright?
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Copyright is covered under a law called the Copyright Designs & Patents Act
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This protects the intellectual property of an individual or a company
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It makes it illegal to copy, modify or distribute software or other intellectual property without the relevant permission
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If original work is original, copyright will be automatically applied and will not expire until 25 - 70 years from the death of the creator depending on the type of work
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If an individual believes that their work has been copied it is their responsibility to take action under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act
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Many sites online offer free downloads of copyrighted software/videos which prevents the intellectual copyright holder from earning their income on the work they have created
- E.g. If someone downloaded videos from Netflix and shared them with others, they would be breaching the act
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The act covers videos and audio where peer-to-peer streaming prevents a copyright owner from receiving an income
What is plagiarism?
- Plagiarism is when someone presents information or ideas from another source as their own, without giving credit to the original author
- This can be done **intestinally **and **unintentionally **
- They may also try to claim it as their own
- A common example of digital plagiarism is copying and pasting from the internet
- If someone uses another persons information and fails to state who it belongs to they are breaking their rights and committing plagiarism
- To avoid plagiarism a user should rewrite or rephrases information
- This shows you have read and understood information but can** put it in your own words**
- To avoid plagiarism** always state where the information came from**, this can include the authors name or URL it was found on
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