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Credible Sources. Don’t Listen to the Village Idiot. Credible Sources.
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Credible Sources Don’t Listen to the Village Idiot
Credible Sources • Credible sources are ones the reader can trust. We trust that the author's ideas are his or her own and can be backed up with evidence. When writing a research paper, doing research, or reading for background information, writers should ALWAYS use a credible source.
Credibility • Definition: 1.capable of being believed; believable: a credible statement. 2.worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy: a credible witness. • Credibility is important! • If your research is flawed, so is your argument. • If you use credible sources, you can believe them, and your readers can believe you.
How do I know if my sources are credible? • You can automatically rule out: • Wikipedia • Myspace • Geocities • Blogs • Friendster • Personal sites
Using the Internet for Research • The internet offers the BEST information on MANY topics. • The internet offers the WORST information on MOST topics. • You can use internet resources for research papers, but you have to be careful.
How do I know if my sources are credible? • Keep it REAL • R-eadthe URL • E-xaminethe content • A-skabout the author • L-ookat the links
Read the Url • Some Common Domain Names • .edu - education sites • .gov - government sites • .org - organization sites • .com - commercial sites • .net - network infrastructures • Be careful with .com sites • All .com sites are trying to sell something, which means they are all biased in some way • Sites with lots of advertisements are usually less credible
Examine the content • Is it organized and relevant? • Is it well written and free of grammatical and spelling errors? • How does the info differ from other sites? • Is it clear when the information was published? • When was it last updated?
Ask about the author • Is there an author identified? • What makes him or her an expert? • Is the author with a reputable organization? • Can you verify the credentials or contact information?
Look at the links • If there are links to other websites, do they work? • Is the site easy to navigate?
Credible Internet Sources • These guidelines are not 100% • When in doubt, ask for help from a teacher or librarian • If you’re still not sure, DON’T use it • Do not assume that the top results from a search engine list are necessarily credible.
Questions and Answers If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.