Saturday, September 14, 2013

Helpful Links -- Evaluating Internet Sources

This week in class we discussed finding sources for our research.  As a requirement for the class, the students must have at least 3 print sources for their paper.  Though print sources are generally trustworthy (after all, they've spent a lot of money and energy to get the information published and printed), books, articles, etc. will often reveal definite biases; those are important to detect.

The greater challenge is evaluating internet sources.  These days, anyone can be a self-proclaimed expert on anything.  Because they publish their information on a web page, many of us think they must be accurate and dependable.  Not so.  While the internet is a marvelous place in which to find crucial information, it is also the home to misinformation and lies.

I have two blog entries from previous classes with some helpful information:
Evaluating Sources
Finding the Best Sources

Below are some links with good information about choosing good internet sites for your research.  Please read at least one of them before you start doing your internet research.

An article and exercise for evaluating a website
Web hoaxes and misinformation 
Evaluation Criteria from the New Mexico State Library
Article:  How to Spot a Fake Website
Teacher Tap:  Links and Article (bottom half of the page)
Kathy Schrock's guides


Happy Researching!!

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