Why evaluate sources?

1. Why evaluate sources? Just because it’s written doesn’t mean it’s good…

2. Evaluating Information Today, anyone who has the necessary skills can find a wealth of informationon almost any topic.

3. Evaluating Information The challenge is to sift through a huge amount of information and identify sources that are.. reliable and appropriate.

4. Evaluating Information Whether you find information in books, magazines, on the Internet, or on TV, you cannotassume it is reliable.

5. Evaluating Information The researcher is responsible for evaluating information and judging its quality.

6. Evaluating Information • Use the following points to consider when evaluating any information source.

7. Point #1: Website ADDRESS

8. Website Address • Look at the website address first – the address can tell you lots about the source www.urasucker4buying-this.com www.hot-n-naked.com www.rip-u-off.com

9. Website Address Look at the address! • .edu= college/university • .gov= U.S. government site • .com = commercial site • .org = Organization/group • .mil = a U.S. military site • .net= a network of computers • .k12.us = public school

10. Website Address • The best sites for reliable information are: • .edu • .gov • .mil

11. Website Address Look at the address! • .edu= college/university • .gov= U.S. government site • .com = commercial site • .org = Organization/group • .mil = a U.S. military site • .net= a network of computers

12. Website Address: .edu • .edu= Educational (university) sites. We’d like to think these are among the most reliable of sites. • But individual (and sometimes strange) students and professors can have their own personal pages under this domain, so you should still check the facts to ensure accuracy.

13. Author Point #2:

14. Author - No Name? • Websites are not always created by experts!

15. Author - No Name? • If you cannot find anyone’s NAME on the website, that’s a big RED FLAG

16. Author - No Name? • Sometimes questionable internet sources do not give the identity or credentials of the author or producer.

17. Author - No Name? • If you have a source with NO NAMEor CORRESPONDING ORGANIZATION, do not use that source! No way am I putting my name on THAT!!

18. Author • Identify theauthor(s) • A PERSON • An ORGANIZATION

19. Author A PERSON • A PERSON • What are his/her credentials? • Does he/she have sufficient expertise to speak on the subject? • Author's occupation / position? • Author’s education? • Author’s affiliation with a known institution or organization?

20. Author:An ORGANIZATION • An ORGANIZATION • Who are the leaders? • What is the mission of the organization? • Is it a national or international institution? • What is its membership? • Is it endorsed by or affiliated with other organizations? • Does it have a “parent” organization?

21. Author An ORGANIZATION • An ORGANIZATION • Check the organization's home page to make sure it has a postal address and phone number available. If it does not, the site is probably not a credible source. • Look for any advertising on the site – ads can reveal what’s important to the organization

22. Author: How to Verify • Look at the source to see if it tells you anything about the author's credentials. • “About us” • “About the author” • “Author Bio” • “Mission Statement” • “Who we are”

23. Author: How to Verify • Use a search engine (such as Google or Yahoo) to find information about the author(s)  this is one good use for general search engines • Do a “Who is” search at www.whois.net to determine the website’s registered domain

24. Point #3: Timeliness

25. Timeliness • When was the information published? • When was it last updated? • Is the date of publicationimportant to the subject matter?

26. Timeliness How can I find out? • Look at the date of publication or last update. • Determine whether it is important to use current sources for the subject.

27. Timeliness • In fields such as medicine, science, business, technology, and most social sciences, currency of information is important. (no older than 3 years!)

28. Timeliness • In fields such as history and literature, older materials may be just as valuable as newer ones. So Cleo… what’s new with you? Not too much Will…

29. Point #4: Documentation

30. Documentation • Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site? • Do the links point inward, outward, or both? LinkLink Link Link Link Link Outward links Inward links

31. Documentation • Does the author refer to otherworks? • Does the source have a works cited/bibliography?

32. Documentation • Can you find any cases where the author has plagiarized other sources? • In other words, has the author used words or ideas without properly citing them, so as to pass them off as original ideas?

33. Documentation How can I find out? • Does the author support his or her statements with data or references to research? • Look for a link to a bibliography or list of references.

34. Documentation Lots of info but NOSOURCES listed? No sources… How can that be?

35. Documentation NOSOURCES listed? A legitimate site would not plagiarize. I usually look for another site that has sources listed.

36. Documentation Sources: Anderson, David. "4 Kew Gardens Residents Testify To Seeing Woman Slain on Street", June 10, 1964, "Moseley Recalls 3 Queens Killings", June 11, 1964, "Moseley Gets Chair; Verdict Is Cheered", June 16, 1964, The New York Times. Baron, Robert A. and Byrne, Donn (1997) Social Psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Delfiner, Rita. "Kitty Left at Death's Door", November 16, 2001, The New York Post DeStefano, Anthony and Hurtado, Patricia. "Dredging the Past; Kitty Genovese Convict Takes Stand", July 25, 1995, Newsday. Dorman, Michael. "The Killing of Kitty Genovese", June 10, 1998, Newsday. Greenburg, Joel, "Why Do Some People Turn Away From Others in Trouble?" July 14, 1981, The New York Times. Mayer, Robert. "Moseley Convicted of Barmaid Slaying", June 12, 1964, Newsday. Milgram, Stanley and Hollander, Paul. "The Murder They Heard". The Nation, June 15, 1964, Volume 198, No. 25. Look for a link to sources on any website

37. Point #5: Purpose

38. Purpose Why was the source/site created? • To inform? • To persuade? • To present opinions? • To report research? • To sell a product?

39. Purpose For what audience is it intended? • What does the author assume the user already knows about the topic of the site? • Based on your answer to the last question, should this site be of greatest interest to the general user, the enthusiast, or the professional?

40. Purpose How can I find out? • Read the source you are evaluating. • Determine whether the source is published by an organization with a particular purpose.

41. Purpose • Determine whether the source attempts to sell a product or promote a particular point of view. (If so, the site is biased.) • Also, see if it presents a balanced view.

42. Purpose • Is the site/article supposed to be educational or entertaining? • How in-depth is the information? • What level of intellect/education is required to understand the information?

43. Purpose Is it popularor scholarly? • Determine whether the material is scholarly or popular using the list of criteria on the next slide…

44. Purpose Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazine Articles Source: http://lib.utsa.edu/Research/Subject/scholarlyguide.html

45. Purpose How uniqueis the information? • What other resources(print & non-print) are available on the topic? • How comprehensive is this site?

46. Evaluate sources carefully! End of presentation