Lect. dr.

Annamaria Kilyeni
annamaria.kilyeni@upt.ro

Limbaje specializate (englez)

Information and Documentation

Documentation refers to the process of identifying, selecting, recording and evaluating

any written material that provides information about a specialized domain. Effective specialized
communication relies heavily on appropriate and accurate documentation. Subject-field
specialists use a variety of information sources on a specific subject area in order to acquire
knowledge of the subject and its conceptual structure, as well as to master its specific
terminology. Moreover, documentation should be seen as an ongoing process that allows one
to keep abreast of the latest developments in a particular field.

Sources

There is a wide range of documentation sources aimed at supporting the access to and
the transfer of specialized knowledge. Typical documentation sources include:

specialized books and textbooks, doctoral theses;

specialized and popularized (semi-specialized) periodicals (e.g. scientific journals,
conference proceedings, magazines, newsletters, etc.);
encyclopaedias;
terminographic products (e.g. termbanks, specialized mono-/bi-/multilingual
dictionaries and glossaries, thesauri, etc.);
institutional and corporate documents (e.g. handbooks, brochures, articles, technical
specifications, standards, etc.);
specialized Internet websites (e.g. specialized blogs, professional association websites,
discussion forums, etc.);
bibliographies.
 Lect. dr. Annamaria Kilyeni
annamaria.kilyeni@upt.ro

Evaluation

Effective specialized communication relies to a great extent on thorough

documentation, which requires first and foremost critical analysis of information. Whether
using print or online documentation sources, an essential step in the research process in any
domain is evaluating the sources: how reliable is a certain documentation source? Needless to
say, evaluation is particularly important with regard to online materials, which can be created
by anyone and whose content does not normally require any approval before being made public.

Basic evaluation criteria for all sources include:

1. Authorship

Determining the credibility of the person who authors a documentation source is the
first thing to do in the evaluation process. All sources must be evaluated in light of the authors
credentials. If the author is not a credible source for information, the information presented in
the document might be unreliable. The following aspects should be taken into consideration:
the authors reputation in the field, the authors education, training and/or experience in the field,
the presence or absence of contact and biographical information, positive or negative reviews.

2. Publication and affiliation

The publishing body and the publication date are equally important in establishing the
reliability of documentation sources. Before a printed source is accepted for publication, the
content generally undergoes an in-depth reviewing process to make sure that it meets the quality
standards of the publisher, whose name is clearly mentioned in the document.
On the Internet, however, it is often rather difficult to establish the identity of the
publisher and thus, the existence of a quality control process. When assessing online
documentation sources, it is therefore advisable to determine and examine the websites
affiliation, which should be provided on the homepage. Sources available on the websites of
well-known professional organizations, public institutions, corporations, newspapers,
magazines, journals, universities, non-profit organizations, etc., usually present reliable
information. If affiliation cannot be identified, the website should be avoided.
The date of publication and the copyright date are equally relevant when evaluating a
documentation source, as they point to the timeliness of information. It is important to identify
when the source was created, as it allows users to determine whether the content is up to date
 Lect. dr. Annamaria Kilyeni
annamaria.kilyeni@upt.ro

in a specific domain. For online sources, the date of publication and the last updated date
should be stated clearly.

3. Audience and purpose

The target audience and the purpose for which a source was created should be easily
identified and taken into account in order to determine whether the content is appropriate for user
needs.

4. Accuracy

Evaluating a documentation source in terms of accuracy allows users to decide whether

the information is actually correct and trustworthy. Accuracy can be established by looking at
the following aspects:
authorship;
affiliation;
date of publication / of updates;
comprehensiveness (Is the information adequately covered?; Is the information well-
organized?; Is there a well-structured table of contents?; Are there conclusions and are
they supported by data?, etc.);
proper documentation (Is there reference to other sources?; Are sources listed at the
end?; Is there a bibliography?, Is the bibliography up to date?, etc.);
objectivity (Does the information make sense?; Is the information presented in an
objective, balanced and unbiased manner?; Is there any inconsistent or contradictory
information?; etc.);
linguistic quality (Are there grammar errors and misspellings?).

5. Layout

The way in which the information is arranged may also play a role in assessing the
reliability of documentation sources. A good layout (i.e. one that is clear, uncluttered and
visually pleasing) makes it both easy and enjoyable for users to access information, and may
therefore strengthen the credibility of a source. However, appearances can sometimes be
deceiving, especially on the Internet, where a well-designed webpage does not necessarily
guarantee credibility.