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*Reusable LibGuides Boxes: Evaluating Media

Evaluating Media

Typically when we talk about evaluation, we are using the CRAP test. This can still be a helpful process, but it doesn't quite fit as well with media sources as it does with text ones. Since there are other considerations fo

Evaluating media: images, audio, video

Magnifying glassVIEWER PERSPECTIVE

  • What do you observe?
    • Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
  • What do you feel?
  • Can the media be viewed in different ways?

VISUAL/AUDIO ELEMENTS

  • Look at the media composition
    • What meaning is conveyed by design choices - color, light, sound, shape, order, placement, etc?
    • Has the media been altered - cropped, filtered, autotuned, etc? If so, why?

SOURCE OF MEDIA

Hands

  • Who created this? Who published it? 
    • Do they have education or experience with the topic?
    • Is there a reason for the creator or published to be biased? 
  • Where was it published? 
    • Why did they choose that particular method? Were they paid?
  • Did they include the work of others? Was proper attribution given?
  • What information accompanies the media file - dates, technical information, context? 
    • Who supplies it? Can it be trusted?

 

CONTEXTUAL INFORMATIONDoodle of swirl with global landmarks around edge

Gathered through your observations, the information provided with the file, and through additional research:

  • What was the original context for this media?
    • What historical or socioeconomic factors influenced the production of this media?
    • Who was the original intended audience?
    • What was the social, cultural, and political climate at this time? 
  • How does this context influence your understanding of the media?
  • Has the media file been used outside of its original context? How has its use and interpretation changed over time?

Media Literacy TED Talk

Visual Literacy

"Visual literacy skills equip a learner to understand and analyze the contextual, cultural, ethical, aesthetic, intellectual, and technical components involved in the production and use of visual materials. A visually literate individual is both a critical consumer of visual media and a competent contributor to a body of shared knowledge and culture." ACRL Visual Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education

Visual Literacy from the Toledo Museum of Art

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Science Library: 317-940-9937

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