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Unit 6: Currency

CalendarConsider your needs

Depending on the topic you are researching, it may be necessary for you to choose a date span for the information you need. For example, if you need information on purchasing trends you will need to look at 5 or 10 years worth of data. Whereas if you need ideas on predicting future technological developments you will need to limit your search to the very latest information. In other words, some information remains valid over time, while other information may become discredited or obsolete.
image of light bulbTip: Currency of information is more important in fields which are rapidly and continuously developing such as information technology or business. However, uniqueness of a topic or in-depth analysis is sometimes more important than being on the cutting edge!


Publication date

It is important that you can establish when the information was ‘produced' or published. When finding websites through an Internet search it is not always possible to determine how up-to-date the information is because the webmaster has not included a date on the page. Where this is the case, think critically about what you read and judge if it makes sense to you. Then try to find another site that can confirm this information.
image of light bulbTip: Where a site gives a date – check if it's an update date or a create date. Decide if the date given is suitable for your needs.

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SMILE by Imperial College, Loughborough University and the University of Worcester, modified by Marion Kelt Glasgow Caledonian University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License