People search for information in order to inform themselves and reduce the uncertainty associated with decisions they have to make. They are faced with situations in which they need to decide upon alternatives and actions. Making choices always involves uncertainty. They gather information to reduce this. Information therefore needs to comply with their needs to reduce it. There are many aspects of information that determine whether the information for a user is 'fit for purpose' or 'quality content. The most important quality aspects are:

• Accurate
  Accuracy means that the information is factual correct. It contains no errors and the statements made are true and reliable.
• Complete
  Completeness guarantees that the information contains no omissions. All the information needed is provided in the content item and no topics are left out or unmentioned. This sometimes means that it is clearly stated in the content item what the item will not deal with.
• Timely
  Timeliness deals with the fact that the information is up to date. A very simple first step is to always provide a date with any piece of content. This can be either the creation date or a review date.
• Relevant
  Relevancy means that the information is appropriate for the purpose of the user. It is hard to achieve if you do not know your audience well enough. In other words, know what your audience wants to learn and know and provide that. This sounds simple, but practice proves that this is a hard nut to crack. User feedback can be very valuable in this context and regular consultation of users should be contemplated strongly.
• Readable
  Readability means that the style and lay out of the content item are appropriate for the medium through which it is presented. Reading from a book or a magazine is different from reading from the web. Part of this quality aspect also refers to lay-out and navigation of the web site.
• Available
  Available simply means that users can get access to the content and that they do not have to take unnecessary steps in order to get there.
• Accessible
  Accessibility deals with the complexity of the content in relation to the comprehension level of the audience. In other words, acronyms, metaphors and jargon should only be used for audiences who are familiar with it. Also sentences should not be too long or contain too many nested sub-sentences.
• Appealing
  Content should be nicely formatted and attractive for a user to spend time on it. Remember that we are bombarded every day with many messages that draw our attention and we must constantly choose what to spend time on. A nice lay out helps a user to find the information quickly and stay interested.

In summary, the information must be reliable, trustworthy and enhancing the users' learning experience. The last mentioned item is an important one to keep in mind - enhancing the users' learning experience. Information should be provided with the user in mind, what information does he/she need and what for?