Describe the product or service and why you are thinking about purchasing or using it. 

Assignment Details

We live in the Information Age, where knowledge, facts, and others’ opinions are available at our fingertips. This can be particularly useful when you need information to make a decision—especially a decision about a product or service.

Think of a product or service that you might purchase or use in the near future. For example, you may choose an everyday household product; a major purchase like an appliance or car; a book you saw advertised; a service, such as a restaurant, medical provider, or pet groomer; or even a simple game app for your smartphone.

Locate 2 sources of information related to the product or service you chose that you believe would help you make a purchasing decision. Evaluate each source by answering the following questions:

• Describe the product or service and why you are thinking about purchasing or using it.
• For each source, list the title, author, date, and location where you found it (and the Web site, if applicable).
• Describe how each source is helpful to you in deciding whether to purchase the product or service.
• Do you, as the audience, consider the source to be credible? Why or why not?

Submit your completed assignment under Unit 2 Individual Project – Evaluating Sources of Information by uploading an MS Word document with the questions and your answers or by typing your answers to the questions directly in the assignment Submission area. To help with your assignment submission, you may use the optional Unit 2 Individual Project Template, which already includes the questions listed above.

Need an example?

Review an example of what your Unit 2 Individual Project should look like:

• Unit 2 Individual Project Example With Template
• Unit 2 Individual Project Example Without Template

Tips for Completing This Assignment

• Consider several places you could look for sources related to your product:
  • Other reviews of that specific product or service
  • Articles that rate different products or services in the same category (e.g., “The Ten Best SUVs of the Year!” or “Top Dog Groomers in Chicago”)
  • Articles that discuss the need or benefit of the product in general (e.g., “Ways to Save Money on Gear for a New Baby”)
• When thinking about whether the source is helpful, put yourself in the shoes of the consumer (i.e., the audience). Does knowing where the source comes from give it more weight in your view?
• Think about the trustworthiness of your sources’ authors. Where did their information come from? Do you believe that they are credible sources of information about this product? Why or why not?

Reading and Learning Materials

Use the following resource to help you complete this assignment:

• Where do Shoppers Research Products? by Pamela Bump