ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the construct of text relevance in the context of multiple-source use. Information is relevant to the extent that it is instrumental in helping a reader meet a reading goal, whereas information is important to the extent that it is necessary for helping a reader comprehend or establish the coherence of a particular text. The chapter evaluates the relevance of information, people increasingly need to evaluate the credibility of the source to determine the extent to which the information is useful. Determinations of source credibility are informed by source expertise and source trustworthiness, both of which can affect perceptions of usefulness for more-relevant information. In the context of multiple-source use, the credibility of a source can affect readers' standards of relevance and judgments of text relevance. A mixed-methods study by McCrudden, Magliano, and Schraw illustrates how task instructions and personal intentions can affect determinations of relevance for an assigned reading task.