Slide 1

Bridges ResearchProject

You will choose one of five bridges representing the three major categories of bridges.

*Beam Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Arch Sydney Harbor Bridge Tension Golden Gate Bridge (suspension) Brooklyn Bridge (suspension) Millau Viaduct (cable-stayed)

*Scotlands Firth of Forth may be added as a beam bridge option.

- You will have to find specified information, indicated on the Bridge Research Form, from at least three different types of sources (places you found information) a book, a video, and an internet site.

- You will make a copy of the portions you used from each source. - You will highlight the information you got from the source. - You will write a citation (written credit to the author) for each source which will be used to write a bibliography (list of citation of sources) later.

CitationYou must give credit (cite)when ever you use someones exact words OR even their opinions/ideas! Not giving credit is plagiarism and it is not only dishonest, but also illegal!

Citation StylesThere are several formats for writing citations and they are changed frequently. Make sure you use the latest version and the one your teacher asks you to use!MLA Modern Language Association, usually used when writing about language or literature (we will use this)APA - American Psychological Association, usually used when writing about science related topics Chicago used for a broad range of topics including language, literature, and scienceOthers - http://www.solidwriters.com/the-bakers-dozen-citation-styles.html

I have video sources for each of these bridges. You must come after school on the viewing days for your bridge, or make other arrangements IN ADVANCE with me to view it at another time. I forgot I had a game, or I had something else to do, are not acceptable reasons for not viewing your video!

- Each source citation is a test grade. - Your Bridges Research Form is also a test grade. - You will keep all of your Bridge Research products in a manila envelope which will be kept in the classroom. This envelope will be given to your English teacher upon completion for use in your English class next six weeks.

- You will evaluate each internet source to ensure that it is a reliable source. (For example, you may not use blogs, Ask.com, or Wikipedia-type websites because anyone can edit them.)Wikipedia.com

Evaluating a WebsiteAsk yourself, Is this website?AUTHORITATIVECURRENTRELIABLERELEVANT

AUTHORITATIVE** REMEMBER ANYONE CAN PUBLISH ON THE WEB!!**

1. Look at the domain suffix.Commercial someone is trying to make money .com.net.bizBeware! Look for bias (strong opinion for or against a viewpoint) and verify information in other sources.Non-commercial organization for example, a charity or professional organization .orgBetter than commercial but still check for bias.

Educational schools and universities .edu.acUsually reliable but be careful that you are not looking at student assignments. Verify the authority (knowledge and experience) of the author!Governmental local, state or federal site.gov.govtUsually reliable.

Personal page maintained by an individual.(someones name)Caution! Check for both bias and authority. *New domain suffixes (generic top-level down domains or GTLDs) are being created. You can check to see what each means at ICANN (the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)

2. Identify the author or sponsor. Normally, the author is identified at the bottom of the first page of a website or check for an About Us/Me link. You may have to google the author to determine his/her credentials. If the site is sponsored by an organization, what is the reputation of the group? What type of advertisers does it associate with, for example?*If you cannot identify the author/sponsor, DO NOT USE THIS SOURCE!

Currency (not money but time)3. When was the page created and/or updated? This is often found at the bottom of the first page, or check the author info. 4. Is the data up to date (if your topic requires this)? Our topic does not require that data be updated.

5. Are there expired links?This is an indication of a lack of maintenance and currency.

RELIABILITY7. Is there a bibliography link?*Note this is a good place to find other sources you can use! 6. What is the sites purpose? To persuade? - Be careful of bias.To inform? - Most reliable purpose.To entertain/express - Not usually appropriate for research papers.NO BIBLIOGRAPHY = NO RELIABILITY

8. Are there spelling/grammar mistakes?Be cautious. 9. Are there discrepancies (differences) with other information you have located?You must keep checking reliable sources to determine which source was incorrect!

RELEVANT10. Is this information related to your topic and useful in answering your research questions?

Is it repeated information from another source? If so, balance your sources. Get some information from one, and some from another.

The Ten Things to Look for When Evaluating an Internet SourceWhat type of generic top-level domain indicator (suffix) does it have?Who is the author/sponsor?When was the page created/updated?Is the data current?Are there expired links?What is the sites purpose?Is there a bibliography?Are there spelling/grammar errors?Are there factual errors?Is this information related to my topic?

Boolean Operators are commands to help you search more efficiently. + Before a word =Only show sites with this word in them.- Before a word =Do not show sites with this word in themWords in quotes = Only show sites with this exact phrase in them- Before Words in quotes = Do not show sites with this exact phrase in them