Shaw University Library Guides: Information Literacy: Digital Media Literacy

Why do we need Digital Media Literacy?

This applies to your research AND your own personal use, like on Social Media. You should stay skeptical of information until you determine its credibility!

Information literacy and evaluating your sources is especially important when finding information online - anyone who has an account on a computer linked to the Internet can share information or documents.

Think about your own use of social media - you don't have to be knowledgeable, scholarly, or go through an editing process to share your information. Treat any information online as if it were something you have shared on your own - evaluate it before reusing it.
Institutional and Organizational websites generally include statements about the type and source of their information - if you don't find those statements on a site, it may not be reliable.

Questions for Evaluating Websites

Use this table to help you to evaluate your website resources:

CRITERIA	QUESTION 1	QUESTION 2	QUESTION 3
Currency	Is there copyright or a last revised date for this information?	Is the information on the webpage outdated?	Do the links on the page work?
Authority	Is there an author for the webpage?	Is the owner/sponsor of the website reputable? (Look for an "About Us" link for more information)	Are references and/or credentials for the authors provided?
Accuracy	Is there an explanation of the research methods used?	Are other credible sources of information referred to within the text of the webpage?	Do other sources confirm the information on this site?
Purpose	Is the information on this page fact? Is it opinion? Is it propaganda?	Is the information similar to other information that you have found, or is it radically different?	Is there advertising on this site?
Relevance	Does the information add to or support your research?	Does the site provide additional links that are also useful to you?	Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining that this is the one that you should use?

Resources

Algorithms in Social Media - Digital Media Literacy
Resources provided by the J. Murrey Atkins Library -contains a lot of information about Algorithms and their effect on the content in search results and social media feeds.
Digital Polarization - Introduction
This series of YouTube videos by UNC Charlotte Library can help you learn about Digital Polarization and how to prevent misinformation. Part 1/5

TikTok Series: Stay Skeptical

From our friend Natalie at the UNC Charlotte Library, @isyoursourcecredible is a great resource for Digital Literacy.