Have you evaluated?

How do you know if the site

good enough to cite?

The Internet has an overabundance of information

How do I know what is fact and what is fiction when anyone can create a website, anyone can pretend to be someone else and try to mislead you!!!

How do I know that the information on the web is reliable, accurate and current?

Where do I start my research?

1. Who wrote the page?2. What is the purpose of the

site? 3. Where did it come from?4. When was it created and last

undated?

Use the rule of 4 “W”

Is this a personal page or is it part of the site belonging to a major institution?

Who is the author or the publisher of this web page? (Credentials? Education? Experience?)

Does the author’s experience really qualify him or her as an expert?

WHO=Authority

Look for:

Words and phrases as: About us, Who Am I, FAQs, For More, Company

Information, Profiles, Our Staff, Home

If you find only an author’s name, but no further information:

Search the name in quotation marks in a search engine or online databaseAn e-mail address is not sufficient identification!!!

Check the URL/ DomainsMostly Reliable Domains:.edu-educational site.gov-U.S. government site.mil-U.S. military site.org-organization, often non profit. .us, .uk, .ca- (These URLs are restricted and registered by

higher institutions)

Be careful!!! Some websites have strong bias and agendas!!!For example: http://www.martinlutherking.org/

Personal domains Information might be

unreliable when the domain is personal

.aol, .comLook for: (~) (%) “members”, “users”, or

“people”Remember: These sites

can be registered be anyone!!!

What? What is the purpose of

the site? (to inform, to advertise, educate, to sell, etc.)

Does the language and the tone seems unbiased and free of emotion?

Where? Where is the information

coming from? (Can facts, statistics be verified?)

Does the site have citations of the original sources (if it is not original research)?

Are there any errors on the page (spelling, grammar, facts)?

When? When was this

information created or published?

When was it last updated or revised?

Has the author of the page stopped maintaining it?

Are all the links still functional?

Advertisements and Pop-ups

Spelling and Grammar errors on the page

Personal bias and opinion

Warning signs:

You can also use:

Print sources

Subscription databases (Britannica Online)

Your librarian’s advice

Remember, the free Web is not your only choice!

Why should we care about all of this?

These skills will help you to make some important decisions in life

You want to be sure that the information you found on line is credible, accurate, reliable, and current!

Because:

Your teacher will evaluate your work based on the quality of the sources you select.

Evaluate carefully. Don’t settle for less!

Just as you evaluate your sources . . .

Estimate the quality of the following websites

Nobel Prize.org: Martin Luther King Jr.http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.htmlMartinlutherking.org http://www.martinlutherking.org/Fact Monster: Martin Luther King Jr.http://www.factmonster.com/spot/mlkjrday1.html

Exercise