research 2013. identifying high-quality sites when can you trust what you find on the internet?
TRANSCRIPT
Research 2013
Identifying High-Quality Sites
When can you trust what you find on the Internet?
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to….• Understand how the ease of publishing on
the Internet might affect how much they can trust the content of some sites.
• Learn criteria that will help them evaluate websites.
• Apply the criteria to a site to determine how trustworthy and useful it is.
Key Vocabulary
• Publish: to present a finished piece of work to the public
• Trustworthy: accurate and dependable• Evaluate: to carefully examine
something to figure out its value• Criteria: standards on which you base a
judgment or decision
Hurricane Sandy
Soldiers Guard the Tomb of Unknowns During Hurricane Sandy – Oct. 2012
Actually taken – Sept. 2012
Remember!
It is your job, as a researcher, to look for quality!
Anyone can publish anything
on the Web!
BOOKS/TEXT
•A book has to be published by a publishing company
•Editors check and verify the information
•Looking for a book can be more time consuming
•You have to visit a library
•The library uses the Dewey Decimal System
INTERNET
•Anyone can publish a Web page
•No one checks to see if the information is true or false
•There are millions of places to look for information
•Using the Internet is much quicker
•You can narrow down what you’re looking for more easily
•The Internet uses search engines
Both providesources of information
Both areviewed by millions of people each day
Online Resources vs. Print Media
Test Before You Trust
1. Purpose of the Site2. Trustworthiness of the Author3. Usefulness of Information4. Up-to-Date Information5. Ease of Use
Website Test
Purpose of the Site
• Can you tell if the site is fact or opinion?• Is the site free advertising?• If there are ads, is it easy to tell the
difference between ads and content?• Is the site sponsored by any
organizations?• Is it clear who the site is for?
Purpose of the Site
Continued….
• Is the tone calm and fair?• Is the site open to everyone?• Is the site’s domain .edu, .net, .org,
or .gov? (If you see a ~ in the URL, it may be a personal site, not an offical site.)
Trustworthiness of the Author
• Is the author identified by name?• Is the place the author works or the
organization he/she belongs to given?• Is the author’s biography provided, and
does he/she have credentials related to the subject of the site?
• Has the author or site received any respected awards
Trustworthiness of the Author
Continued….
• Was this site recommended by a site you trust?
• Are sources given for statistics?• Can the author be contacted if you have
questions? (by email, street address, or phone number)
• Is the site free of spelling, typographical, and grammatical errors?
Usefulness of Information
• Does the site have enough information for your research?
• Is most of the information on the site useful for your research?
• Can you find the date the article, page, or site was created?
• Can you find the date it was last revised?• Do all the links lead to active pages?
Ease of Use
• Can you understand the text?• Is the type easy to see?• Do the titles and headings give a clear
idea of the content?• Are there photos, maps, charts, or other
illustrations that help you understand the information?
Ease of Use
Continued….
• Is there a site map?• Is there a tool for searching the site?• Is there a “what’s new” feature?• Are the links labeled clearly?• Do pages load quickly?
So, why should we care about all of this?
Just as you evaluateyour sources . . .
Your teacher will evaluate your work based on the quality of the sources you select.
Evaluate carefully. Don’t settle for good enough!
Quality always counts!
Questions?
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to….1. Understand how the ease of publishing on
the Internet might affect how much they can trust the content of some sites.
2. Learn criteria that will help them evaluate websites.
3. Apply the criteria to a site to determine how trustworthy and useful it is.