Becoming a Web Detective

1. Becoming a Web Detective Samantha A. Silag Memorial School Library December, 2008 For Learning…For Life!

2. Today’s Objectives • To learn why it is important to become “web detectives” when you are researching on the internet. • To learn how to evaluate website sources.

3. Two Truths One Fib

4. Why Website Evaluation? • Billions of websites out there! • Trash vs. treasure • Hoax cites California's Velcro Crop Challenged Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie Hunting Season for Haggis Moon development Mankato, MN The Onion Uncyclopedia Male pregnancy Biohazard Alert Detector http://www.license.shorturl.com/

5. Share ABC’s of Website Evaluation A = Author Is there an author? Is the author qualified to write about the subject? Can the information be verified elsewhere? B = Bias Is information presented in a fair, objective manner? Is the page free of unnecessary advertising? C= Content Is the information relevant, believable and useful for your purposes?

6. More ABC’s…well, D and E! D= Dates Does the webpage show the date when it was created? Last updated? Is it updated regularly? Is the information outdated? E= Editor Does the webpage name an editor or fact checker? Does the webpage have a reputable sponsor such as a university or government agency. Does the webpage include a bibliography?

7. More Clues… • Look at the Internet Address Ending .com = commercial site (www.ibm.com) .org = non profit organization (www.iflonline.org) .edu = educational site by an educational institution (harvard.edu) .net = network of organizations (www.inspire.net) .mil = military organizations (www.airforce.mil) .ma .us = geographically based website (www.manchester.ma.us) vs. (www.manchesteronline.co.uk) .gov = government website (www.whitehouse.gov) • Truncate the URL http://www.wic.org/bio/jgoodall.htm http://www.wic.org/bio/ http://www.wic.org Host site: Women’s International Center Webpage: Biography on Jane Goodall

8. Where Should You Go? Your teacher tells you to create an anti-smoking ad campaign for an assignment on persuasive writing. Using the Web Detective Worksheet you will each evaluate one of the following sites and determine if you would use it for this project: • American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation http://www.no-smoke.org/ • R.J. Reynolds http://www.rjrt.com/home.asp • American Lung Association (Tobacco Control section) http://www.lungusa.org/tobacco/ • Tobacco Free Initiative (World Health Organization) http://tobacco.who.int/ • Tobacco Free Kids website  http://tobaccofreekids.org/ • Big Drug's Nicotine War http://www.forces.org/evidence/pharma/index.htm • Coalition for a Tobacco Free Midlands  http://www.tobaccofreemidlands.com/ • Phillip Morris Tobacco Company page on Youth Smoking Prevention http://www.philipmorrisusa.com/DisplayPageWithTopic.asp?ID=75 • Children Opposed to Smoking Tobacco  http://www.costkids.org/

9. Just Say NO... • No internet without adult supervision.

10. For Learning… Reliable, accurate information is essential to solid research… and good grades!

11. And For Life… Reliable information is essential to quality of life Did the Twilight author (Stephenie Meyer) really have her next book stolen and posted on the internet? Nick Jonas has diabetes...could I get it too? Is Barack Obama Oprah Winfrey's best friend?

12. Sources • Springfield Township Virtual Library. Retrieved November 25, 2008. http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/evalwebstu.html • CMIS (Curriculum Materials Information Services). Retrieved November 25 from the Department of Education and training, Western Australia. http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/webeval/eval12.htm • Pam Berger’s Web Evaluation Guide. Retrieved November 28, 2008 from theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/external/webeval • Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators. Retrieved November 28, 2008. http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/eval.html

13. What Did You Learn?