Using medical dictionaries to teach the critical evaluation of information sources

Bibliographic instruction (BI) is the formal teaching of information skills by library professionals. It is argued that biomedical BI must involve the teaching, not only of information retrieval, but also of evaluative skills. A course-integrated BI session on the critical evaluation of health information sources is described. This session uses medical and nursing dictionaries as a subject for investigation. Students in small groups evaluate various dictionaries according to selected criteria. Then they rank the dictionaries and defend the ranking before the rest of the class. It appears to be an effective learning experience from which participants emerge with sharper evaluative skills.