Critical evaluation
Reflect
Not everything that glitters is gold.
Looks can be deceiving.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Not everything is as it seems.
What message do these common expressions convey?
What is critical evaluation?
The expressions above remind us that we can’t always trust how things appear on the surface and that it’s often important to consider things critically. Critical evaluation requires us to consider the complexities of information and how they shape the way it is interpreted. Using a critical approach to evaluate a subject, idea, argument, experience, or piece of information involves objectively assessing all the information you have, and weighing the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence to figure out how reliable or credible it is.
Critical evaluation is one step in a critical thinking process which includes first gathering and critically analysing information. The step after critical evaluation is decision making.
The ‘critical’ part means not just accepting things at face value, but digging deeper and asking questions to make sure you have all the facts. You may even end up realising that information you initially trusted isn’t reliable. It’s important to weigh the facts and make a conscious effort not to ignore doubts, even if they’re inconvenient. Evaluating critically brings you closer to the truth and to seeing the big picture.
You’ll develop your critical evaluation skills at university, and you’ll probably hear the phrase ‘critical evaluation’ related to research and formulating arguments. However, the need for critical evaluation isn’t limited to study – it’s a crucial skill that will serve you in many situations across disciplines and professions.
Why is critical evaluation important?
Being able to critically evaluate information, situations, and arguments is not merely a skill – it’s an essential tool for navigating the complexities of the world and making informed choices.
People who have well developed critical evaluation skills:
- can distinguish reliable sources from misinformation
- engage with the world in a meaningful and accurate way
- are good at researching and formulating arguments at university
- are good at seeing the truth through lies or propaganda
- form their own opinions based on multiple forms of evidence
- make responsible decisions and are confident in their reasoning
- are intellectually independent and can contribute creative and innovative solutions to problems
- reach their professional goals faster because employers value problem-solving skills and intellectual independence
- can evaluate social situations and consider other people’s perspectives, which strengthens personal relationships.
On the other hand, people who lack the ability to evaluate critically:
- often misjudge the validity of information and are misled by information that is intentionally or unintentionally false
- form opinions based on unreliable sources of information
- are easily swayed by propaganda and convinced by things which target an emotional response, which can lead to them acting on incorrect information
- make reckless decisions which negatively affect themselves and others
- are susceptible to manipulation and vulnerable to people who seek to scam them
- miss out on opportunities because they are not able or willing to look at things from different angles and try out new strategies
- struggle to get ahead professionally because they are not skilled at solving problems independently and often repeat mistakes
- find it difficult to resolve conflict and see things from other perspectives, which affects personal relationships.
Critical evaluation in everyday life
Critical evaluation isn’t just something you do when you’re studying. You’ve probably weighed up the pros and cons of something and made a decision already this week without even realising you were doing it.
The key to getting better at critical evaluation is to take what you can already do and apply it more critically and consciously. Let’s consider a scenario in which a student uses critical evaluation skills intentionally to help make a decision.
Bo lives in a regional area and is considering options for higher education. The degree that they’re most interested in is only taught on-campus in the state capital city, which is several hours away by car. There are some local institutions, which would be more economical and convenient, but Bo isn’t as enthusiastic about the courses they offer. Their friend in the city says, “Just move — once you get here you can work things out”. Their uncle, on the other hand, says, “Stay here and make it easier on yourself — the city is expensive.” Bo knows that neither of them has weighed up all the pros and cons of the situation. Bo gathers all of the relevant information about their options, such as:
- the distance and the cost to drive home from the city on the weekends
- the cost of renting accommodation and living out of home
- the courses available in each location and the quality of the institutions
- how they feel about making new friends and getting used to a new place
- their long-term career goals and which options will help them reach those goals.
When Bo has considered each factor independently and feels like they have a good idea of the big picture, they make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of moving for university and reflect on which aspects are the most important to them. When Bo has weighed everything up, they make their decision. They feel confident that it’s the right choice for them and that their critical evaluation has covered all bases.
Critically evaluating information
Critically evaluating information is a vital skill and you will use it a lot at university. Not all information you come across during the research process is appropriate for use in academic work, but you can evaluate sources to determine what is and isn’t appropriate for you to use. A good way to do this is with the help of an evaluation criteria, and you can also ask library staff for a second opinion.
Criteria for evaluating information
CRAAP stands for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose. It is a set of criteria that can guide you through the critical evaluation process. Expand the sections below to read about each part of CRAAP and the questions you can ask to investigate the credibility of sources.
Now that you’ve learnt about using critical evaluation to choose sources, explore the scenario below and test your knowledge.
Check out the RMIT Learning Lab tutorial Choosing valid sources if you’re interested in learning more.
Fake news!
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as reliable or factual news, often with the intention of damaging reputations or making money through advertising. While not a new phenomenon, the proliferation of fake news has been made easier through the Internet and the ability of anyone to be able to create a professional-looking website and post anything they want.
In addition, social media sites use algorithms based on a person’s reading history to feed them similar information, thereby creating a vacuum in which fake news can feel increasingly legitimate.
Many of the criteria used to evaluate information can also be used to identify fake news, but there are some other ways to check. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) (2020) have created some steps for identifying fake news:
- Consider the source: click away from the story to investigate the site, its mission and contact info.
- Read beyond: headlines are often outlandish or outrageous to encourage clicks (click-bait). Consider the whole story, rather than just the headline.
- Check the author: a simple Google search will often reveal whether the author is credible or not (or if they’re even real!).
- Supporting sources: click on the links in the article – do they actually support the story?
- Check the date: reposting old news stories doesn’t mean they’re relevant to current events.
- Is it a joke?: Some fake news is satire and can be identified by being too outlandish. Sites like The Onion and The Betoota Advocate are good examples of satirical websites. Research the site and the author to be sure.
- Check your biases: stop and ask yourself if your own beliefs could be affecting your judgment.
- Ask the experts: It’s getting increasingly harder to tell if something is fake news or not. If you’ve considered all of the above questions, and are still not sure, you could ask a librarian or consult a fact-checking site.
If you want to build your resistance against online disinformation, check out the Bad News game. The game, developed by researchers at Cambridge University and DROG, a Netherlands platform against disinformation, offers insight by putting players in the position of a person trying to gain followers and influence by spreading fake news. You can earn six badges: impersonation, emotion, polarisation, conspiracy, discredit, and trolling. The game takes around twenty minutes to complete.
Explore the RMIT Fact Checking subject guide to find more information and videos on verifying the factual accuracy of claims and identifying fake news.
The ability to critically evaluate information and situations is a highly valuable skill in all professions. By consciously improving your critical thinking and evaluation skills while you’re studying, you’re also preparing for your career.
Reflect
Can you think of any examples of how you might use critical evaluation in your future career?
Here are some examples:
- A psychologist needs to critically evaluate the treatment options for a patient, weighing up the potential benefits and risks of each treatment in relation to the patients’ concerns and history.
- An engineer uses critical evaluation skills in the design and implementation of new projects – they need to make decisions based on the evaluation of a range of factors like design options, environmental impact, project timelines, and budget.
- A teacher employs critical evaluation to assess their students’ progress. When assessing a student formally, an educator might consider things like the quality of their work, the timeliness of their submissions, and their participation and attitude in class.
- A financial advisor needs to use critical evaluation when working to help a company improve their financial situation. In order to make recommendations, they may need to investigate past financial statements, market trends, investment opportunities and their risks, and current and future expenses.
To further develop your higher-order thinking skills, check out the Critical thinking and Critical analysis pages in this chapter, and the Reflective thinking and practice chapter.
This page includes content adapted from:
- How to spot fake news – infographic by International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (2020) licensed under CC BY 4.0
- Study Smart: information research and literacy skills – Evaluate your sources by QUT licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Fundamentals of Business Communication Revised (2022): 10.4 Evaluating Sources by Venecia Williams & Nia Sonja licensed under a CC BY-SA, except where otherwise noted.
