Hail a R.A.D.C.A.B. A mnemonic acronym for information evaluation

• initials to help remember how to evaluate a website

• Anyone on Internet

• No qualifications

• No one checking it

• Looks may be deceiving

• Not trustworthy, reliable, truthful

Must R.A.D.C.A.B. All Web Sites

• R for Relevancy• A for Appropriateness• D for Detail• C for Currency• A for Authority• B for Bias

A way to grade/evaluate websitesYou are teacher

• Is the information relevant to the question I am asking?

• Can it answer my question or does it have nothing to do with it?

• Am I on the right track or am I wasting my time?

• Is the information suitable to my age and my “core values”, what I know to be right and wrong?

• Will it help me answer my question?

• Does it fill the requirements of my teacher?

• How much information do I need? • Does it cover enough information to answer

many of my questions?• Does the web site offer extra information

with external links, internal search engines, indexes?

• When was the information published?

• When was it last updated?

• Who is the author of the information?

• What are his or her qualifications?

• Why was this information written?

• Was it written to inform me, persuade me, or sell me something?

• Remember you must R.A.D.C.A.B. it!

• Start with R

• Relevancy

Requires websites that answer your questions

• Must form questions that focus on topic

• Use keywords and search phrases to narrow topic

• Don’t type in full question

Different levels of information

Don’t choose too young or too old

You know right from wrong: core values

Judge if information makes you feel confused or uneasy

You can make sure it is appropriate.

• Use databases and teacher-selected web sites for research

• “Police" own Internet activity

• “Arrest" (or suddenly stop) a site if "you don't get it" or "feel uneasy"

• Have "exit strategy" for inappropriate site

• Alert librarian or teacher if uneasy with website

• Quickly scan article for needed information

• Determine if it has enough facts

• Any tables of contents/indexes on web site

• Any external links

• Any interactive and graphic elements

Table of Contents, External Links, etc.

• If there is a date, usually posted at top or bottom of page

• Is having a copyright date important for this website?

• Are external links still current and relevant?

Look for Copyright Date

• Word “author” comes from authority

• With whom is the author affiliated?

• Can you contact the author? How? Where?

• Can you trust this author for accuracy? Why or why not?

• Use online library databases

• Paid subscriptions, reliable, trustworthy

• A personal judgment, opinionLook for:• Web site mission statement• Advertising Type of language:• emotional• sarcastic • opinionated

Domains Give Clues

•URL Domain Names• .com - commercial enterprise• .edu – academic site• .gov – governmental agency• .org – organization, non/profit• .net – network service provider• .mil – military site• ~Name-personal home page

Don't forget to R.A.D.C.A.B.!

For any search engine website• R for Relevancy• A for Appropriateness

•D for Detail

•C for Currency

•A for Authority

•B for Bias

The decision is yours!