Evidence Linking
Evidence linking involves the student information scientist in building logical connections among pieces of relevant information. The scientist might ask him or herself the following questions:
- In what manner can various pieces of relevant information be linked to provide evidence for a logical argument and the establishment of a reasonable conclusion?
- What information is lacking that would make the argument more convincing?
- How would you go about finding information or gathering data that will help you fill that information gap?
- Can you make predictions of places to seek information or steps to obtain information based on your previous experience?
Becoming proficient at evidence linking is associated with the following Information Literacy Standards (AASL, 1998):
- The information literate student accesses information efficiently and effectively.
- The information literate student evaluates information critically and competently.
- The information literate student contributes positively to the learning community and to society and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.
The following example demonstrates how a student matures as he or she gains experience and expertise.
Influenza Epidemic of 1918
Novice information scientists often seek simple answers rather than digging deeper and seeking evidence to support their conclusions.
For instance, an inexperienced information scientist might read a short article about the Influenza Epidemic of 1918, locate death statistics, and assume that the flu caused deaths randomly across age groups.
However an experienced researcher would generate additional questions based on each new set of evidence asking question such as “What patterns can be found in the data related to illnesses and deaths caused by the epidemic?” After a series of questions and additional evidence, the student information scientist would be able to conclude that the epidemic caused a disproportional number of deaths among young people.
Explore Jamal's investigation for more detail.