Evaluating &

Citing Electronic Sources

Elaine MacLeanSt. Francis Xavier University

October 2006

What do we hope to learn?

Evaluate information with a

critical eye

Use criteria to evaluate credible web sources

Use APA or MLA to cite electronic source

(2) States of MIND

Be Suspicious

Critically evaluate every page you find

(5) Questions

?? Who ?? What

?? Why ?? When ?? How

?? WHO ?? Is there an author?

What makes him/her an expert?

Is she/he with a reputable organization?

Can you verify the credentials or contact information?

WHO are the AUTHORS?

http://www.alexchiu.com/

http://www.hss.edu/Conditions/Rheumatoid-

Arthritis/Rheumatoid-Arthritis/

?? WHAT ??

What is the point/intent of the website?

What is the particular audience?

What kind of information - general or comprehensive?

WHAT – FUN or REAL?

http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/

http://www.godsendinstitute.org/home.html

http://www.dhmo.org/

?? WHY ??

Is the website providing just one point of view?

Is it biased or does it push a specific perspective?

Does the site contain advertising? If there are ads, is there a conflict

of interest between them and the content?

World Trade Organization

(WTO) ?

http://www.gatt.org/

http://www.wto.org/

?? WHEN ??

Is it clear when the information was published? When was it last updated? If there are links to other websites, do they work?

Depending on your subject area (Business/Science), current information is vital.

The top or bottom of a web page is normally the first place to look for a date.

Most Current?

http://cybrary.uwinnipeg.ca/people/mleggott/hypermedia/chat/session-5.html

http://www.cbc.ca/

http://www.brucesonline.com/

?? HOW ??

Is the site easy to navigate? Are there obvious signs of errors or typos? Can factual information be verified using other sources?

Ease of navigation or the ability to verify facts quickly is important.

Time is valuable! If you're having problems with a source, there is probably a more efficient way to find what you're looking for.

CITING ELECTRONIC SOURCES - APA

• Online periodical:

– Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author,  C. C. (2000).     Title of article. Title of  Periodical, xx, xxxxxx.    Retrieved month day, year, from source.

• Online document:− Author, A. A. (2000). Title of work.

    Retrieved month day, year, from source.

Components of a URL

APA - Internet article based on a print source (same)

VandenBos, G., Knapp, S., & Doe, J. (2001). Role of reference elements in the selection of resources by psychology undergraduates [Electronic version]. Journal of Bibliographic Research, 5, 117-123.

APA - Internet article based on a print source (different)

VandenBos, G., Knapp, S., & Doe, J. (2001). Role of reference elements in the selection of resources by psychology undergraduates. Journal of Bibliographic Research, 5, 117-123. Retrieved October 13, 2001, from http://jbr.org/articles.html

APA - Article in an Internet-only journal

Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/pre0030001a.html

APA - Stand-alone document, no author

identified, no date

GVU's 8th WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved August 8, 2000, from http://www.cc.gatech.edu/gvu/usersurveys/survey1997-10/

APA - Electronic copy of a journal article, retrieved

from database

Borman, W. C., Hanson, M. A., Oppler, S. H., Pulakos, E. D., & White, L. A. (1993). Role of early supervisory experience in supervisor performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 443-449. Retrieved October 23, 2000, from PsycARTICLES database.

APA - Citations in Text of Electronic Material

(Myers, 2000, ¶ 5)

(Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1)

MLA – Scholarly Project

Victorian Women Writers Project. Ed. Perry Willett. May 2000. Indiana U. 26 June 2002 <http:// www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/>

MLA – Information Database

Thomas: Legislative Information on

the Internet. 19 June 2001. Lib. of

Congress, Washington. 18 May 2002 <http://thomas.loc.gov/>.

MLA – Article in a Journal

Sohmer, Steve. "12 June 1599: Opening Day at Shakespeare's Globe." Early Modern Literary Studies 3.1 (1997): 46 pars. 26 June 2002 <http://www.shu.ac.uk/emls/0301/sohmjuli.html>.

MLA – Work from a Library Subscription Service

Youakim, Sami. "Work-Related Asthma." American Family Physician 64 (2001): 1839-52. Health Reference Center. Gale. Bergen County Cooperative Lib. System, NJ. 12 Jan. 2002 <http://www.galegroup.com/>.

MLA – PERSONAL WEBSITE

Lancashire, Ian. Home page. 28 Mar. 2002. 15 May 2002. <http://www.ch

ass.utoronto.ca:8080/~ian/>.

FINAL THOUGHTS

GOOD to be CRITICAL

WHO/WHAT/WHYWHEN/HOW

Think BEFORE you choose it!