Research Literacy ~Website Evaluation

Write down your response to the following Write down your response to the following questions (in full sentences):questions (in full sentences):

(1) What does it mean to “evaluate” websites?

(2) What is your current method of evaluating websites when you do research?

DO NOW:

How can we identify and evaluate a reliable website?

AIM:

Wading Through the Web

Books/TextBooks/TextInternetInternet

•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 provide sources of information

•Both are viewed by millions of people each day

Compare and contrast the Internet and books/texts.

How do they differ? How are they similar?

•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

URL: (Uniform Resource Locator)The address identifying a specific site on the

Internet. In the address httphttp://www.://www.northwesternuniversitynorthwesternuniversity.edu.edu,

httphttp:// designates the TCP/IP protocol used to access the resource :// designates the TCP/IP protocol used to access the resource (the HHyperttext TTransfer PProtocol, that is, the language used in accessing the address on the world wide web (www.)world wide web (www.)

(.northwesternuniversity)(.northwesternuniversity) represents the name of the institution or represents the name of the institution or organization hosting the siteorganization hosting the site

(.edu)(.edu) is a top level domain code indicating type of entity serving as type of entity serving as network hostnetwork host.

For the United States, the six basic top level domain codes are:

.com - commercial enterprise

.edu - educational institution

.gov - government agency

.mil - military installation

.net - network

.org - nonprofit organization

Remember these!

http://pubweb.northwestern.edu/~butz/di/intor.html

Cont.

What does the URL tell us?

http://pubweb.northwestern.edu/http://pubweb.northwestern.edu/~butz~butz/di/intro.html/di/intro.html

~~TildeTilde (the “squiggle thingy”): specifies a (the “squiggle thingy”): specifies a user’s home directory. user’s home directory.

butz is the user name, is the user name, ~butz is the home directory of Arthur Butzis the home directory of Arthur Butz

Remember what the tilde indicates!

www.martinlutherking.org

How do we know who created a website?

Use:

www.easywhois.comwww.easywhois.com

www.alexa.comwww.alexa.com

Then type in www.martinlutherking.orgwww.martinlutherking.org

Remember these!

What method do we use to evaluate websites?

Remember this acronym: REALREAL

RRead the URL

EExamine the page using prior knowledge

AAuthor’s Credibility (Authority/Credentials)

LLast Updated / LLinks

Remember this acronym!

How current is your information?

What can you learn about a webpage by who links into it

To find out who links in to a page, try the link

command [ link:link: ] in www.altavista.com :

Remember the altavista.com website and why you would use it!

Now it is your turn to practice. Remember the ‘REAL’ acronym!

Your 4 classroom teams will evaluate one of these sites:

1. www.viagen.com

2. www.historianofthe future.com

3. www.dhmo.org

4. http://www.phy.ornl.gov/csep/ov/node8.html

Learning Standards

New York City Curriculum ResourcesInformation Fluency Continuum

Phase: Investigate p. 18Indicator: Identifies inaccurate and misleading information

New York City Performance Standards

Applied Learning Standard 3a: Gather information to assist in completing project workApplied Learning Standard 3b: Use information technology to assist in gathering, organizing, and presenting informationSocial Studies.5.d Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between fact and opinion. Social Studies.5.e. Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions; and evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations. Social Studies.5.f Works individually and in teams to collect and share information and ideas.Social Studies.6.e. Recognizes sources of bias in dataELA.3.d. Make informed judgments about TV, radio, film.

Standards

Technology Standards

ISTE National Educational Technology Standard (NETS)Standard 5: Technology Research tools: -- Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources -- Students use evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness to specific tasks