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Learn why and how to evaluate websites to ensure credibility and reliability. Discover tips on assessing domain names, links, author authority, currency, bias, and more.
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Evaluating Websites Last updated: 11/2013
Objectives • By the end of today you will know: • Whywebsites should be evaluated • How to evaluate websites
Why Evaluate? • All websites are not created equally • Example: Martin Luther King, Jr. http://www.martinlutherking.org
How to Evaluate? • Start your research using reliable sources • Cross reference - find the same information in another source
How to Evaluate? • Check Domain names Example, .com, .edu • .gov = governmental agency(very reliable!) Example: hawaii.gov Information at .gov sites needs to be approved before posting.
Link check • Find out who is linking to the site Example, Link:http://www.martinlutherking.org
URL • Check the URL or the web address: • Does is have a tilde “~”? • Indicates a personal website Ex. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~Higa (Who’s Higa? Teacher? Student? Expert in the field?)
Currency • Consider your topic… • Do you need current, or up-to-date information? • Would “old” information be okay?
Authority: Sources listed? • Does the author/site include a list of sources used? • Where did they get their information from? • Can you tell if the sources are credible or not?
Author’s purpose? • To share facts versus opinion?; • To entertain people?; • To persuade or convince someone to do or not do something??
F, O or B? • FACT = something that is true • OPINION = what someone thinks • BIAS = a preference for a particular belief or idea over other ideas and beliefs; a judgment based on a personal point of view
Some types of bias • RELIGIOUS BIAS– favoring one religion over another; • POLITICAL BIAS– favoring one’s own political party or beliefs; • CULTURAL BIAS – favoring one culture over another
Example • What do you think Pearl City High School is known for?
Athletics too… Current?
Wikipedia: The Bad Side E.g., A 2007 news article: • 1,662 Wikipedia edits made from Univ. of Hawaii computers • 776 edits made from Dept. of Ed. computers
Wikipedia: The Bad Side Examples: • Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice died in a Texas bathroom in 2004 • Hawaii Congressman Neil Abercrombie has killed more than 5 million wolves (anyone can post information)
Wikipedia: The Good Side You might find great information under External links
Let’s Review • How can you evaluate a website? • Check domain names (.gov is good!) • Link check – are others linking to the site and if yes, who? • Currency • Author’s background and purpose (ex. fact versus opinion)