P2 – Discuss the characteristics of good information
When providing information, there are certain characteristics and criteria that should be followed to
ensure the information you’re giving is to a high standard.
Valid – Valid information is information that is correct and can be used for the purposes hat it is
needed. It has been checked by multiple experts and has been approved to be allowed for the public to
obtain. A good example of valid information would be books provided by a governing body, I am
learning for my theory test and the theory test book would be considered valid as it has been published
and illustrated by the DVSA.
Reliable – Reliable information is information you can believe that is correct due to many other people
claiming it is correct and trusted. Reliable information normally comes from a valid and trusted source.
Say you wanted to find good antivirus software; you would try to find ratings on the internet. If you see
good ratings from well-known software websites such as Softsonic or Softpedia, you’d rely on that
information and install that particular antivirus software.
Timely – This is information that is from the correct time period, information here could be useful or
useless, depending on the changes over the years and how old the information really is. Some schools
have this problem of not being able to provide students with the latest books; however these books
would be outdated just by a few years so the information is either mostly right or just correct.
However, there was a time I was given a book and the last time the book was used was in 1998, it is
most likely the information is outdated or wrong as it was more than 10 years ago, a lot can happen in
a decade.
Fit for purpose – Information fit for purpose is information that is relevant to what you need it for. It’s
really easy to understand, if you wanted to learn about the Second World War you would buy a history
book based on the years during the war. Or if you wanted to start a business in London, you’d research
statistics in a specific area in London, finding statistics in Kent would be pointless.
Accessible – Accessible information is information stored in a way that it can be easily accessed at any
time. As a student, if you had work to do but you needed reliable information, you would go to the
library or research on your computer. Today information is easily accessible as there are more ways to
find information. It is essential for information to be accessible as it would easy to find and can be
referred to quickly when needed.
Cost effective – This type of information is information that is worth spending money. It is all about
trying to get a profit at the end, if a company paid £100 for something but they only got £50 back as a
result, this would be a loss and considered cost ineffective. But if you spent the same money but got
£200 back, it would be cost effective as you’ve managed to get a £100 profit. It is all about spending
the least money, but getting more by analysing and using the information to increase profits.
When providing information, there are certain characteristics and criteria that should be followed to
ensure the information you’re giving is to a high standard.
Valid – Valid information is information that is correct and can be used for the purposes hat it is
needed. It has been checked by multiple experts and has been approved to be allowed for the public to
obtain. A good example of valid information would be books provided by a governing body, I am
learning for my theory test and the theory test book would be considered valid as it has been published
and illustrated by the DVSA.
Reliable – Reliable information is information you can believe that is correct due to many other people
claiming it is correct and trusted. Reliable information normally comes from a valid and trusted source.
Say you wanted to find good antivirus software; you would try to find ratings on the internet. If you see
good ratings from well-known software websites such as Softsonic or Softpedia, you’d rely on that
information and install that particular antivirus software.
Timely – This is information that is from the correct time period, information here could be useful or
useless, depending on the changes over the years and how old the information really is. Some schools
have this problem of not being able to provide students with the latest books; however these books
would be outdated just by a few years so the information is either mostly right or just correct.
However, there was a time I was given a book and the last time the book was used was in 1998, it is
most likely the information is outdated or wrong as it was more than 10 years ago, a lot can happen in
a decade.
Fit for purpose – Information fit for purpose is information that is relevant to what you need it for. It’s
really easy to understand, if you wanted to learn about the Second World War you would buy a history
book based on the years during the war. Or if you wanted to start a business in London, you’d research
statistics in a specific area in London, finding statistics in Kent would be pointless.
Accessible – Accessible information is information stored in a way that it can be easily accessed at any
time. As a student, if you had work to do but you needed reliable information, you would go to the
library or research on your computer. Today information is easily accessible as there are more ways to
find information. It is essential for information to be accessible as it would easy to find and can be
referred to quickly when needed.
Cost effective – This type of information is information that is worth spending money. It is all about
trying to get a profit at the end, if a company paid £100 for something but they only got £50 back as a
result, this would be a loss and considered cost ineffective. But if you spent the same money but got
£200 back, it would be cost effective as you’ve managed to get a £100 profit. It is all about spending
the least money, but getting more by analysing and using the information to increase profits.
