web evalsw
TRANSCRIPT
Library Instruction Fall 2012
Adele Enright
EVALUATING WEBSITES
RIO HONDO COLLEGE
Purpose
.com - commercial
.org – nonprofit entities
.gov – government agencies
.edu – educational institutions
State or Country of Origin
.uk
.ca
.ca.us
.ca.gov (www.dmv.ca.gov)
ABOUT DOMAIN NAMES
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http://www.stanford.edu/~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm
http:// is the protocol or access method
www.stanford.edu is the domain or host name
.edu is the top level domain
~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm is the directory path folder on the domain computer
UNDERSTANDING THE URL
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Authorship – Do the authors have authority on the topic? .com, .org, .gov, .edu?
Currency – Is this site out of date for your topic?
Accuracy – Works cited? Does the information fit with what you know?
Purpose – Why was the site created?
EVALUATION CRITERIA
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Look for an “About Us” link on the page. Is it a personal page? Check for a tilde (~) in the
URL. If you can’t figure out who is responsible for the
page, try truncating the URL:
http://www.stanford.edu/~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm
WHO IS THE AUTHOR?
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Try Googling the author’s name.
Clayborne Carson
STILL NOT SURE?
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LET’S PRACTICE
Carefully read the following question and then examine the two websites to see which would be the better choice. 8
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
You are writing a research paper about theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis for his opposition to Hitler. Which of the following sources would be a better place to get an overview of his life and work?
A. Bonhoeffer www.pbs.org/bonhoeffer
B. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/bonhoeffer
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable. 9
You are writing a research paper about the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for a history class. Which site provides better information about bridge aerodynamics for you and your audience?
A. Computational Bridge Aerodynamics
www.bridgeaerodynamicslab.us/index.htm
B. Mark Ketchum’s Bridge Aerodynamics Page www.ketchum.org/wind.html
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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You are writing a research paper on Sojourner Truth and want to find verifiable biographical information about her. Which of the following sources would be the better choice?
A. Sojourner Truth – Society for The Study of American Women Writers
http://www.lehigh.edu/~dek7/SSAWW/writTruthBio.htm
B. Sojourner Truth – African American Historical Figure http://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue.html
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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You are writing an essay exploring the life and work of Chinua Achebe and want to learn more about Achebe’s views. Which of the following sources would be the better choice?
A. Chinua Achebewww.kirjasto.sci.fi /achebe.htm
B. The Failure Interview: Chinua Achebe by Jason Zasky
failuremag.com/index.php/feature/article/chinua_achebe
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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You are writing an essay about the health aspects of choosing a vegetarian diet. Which of the following sources would be a better place to get objective scientific information?
A. Meat vs. Vegetarian Diet
http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/meat-vs-vegetarian-diet-your-best/
B. Vegetarianism in a Nutshell: Health
www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/vegetarianism-in-a-nutshell-health.aspx
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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You are writing a research paper exploring the pros and cons of using “marriage promotion” as a means to decrease poverty and improve families’ well-being. Which source below would be a more reliable source of statistics? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.
A. The Heritage Foundationwww.heritage.org/Research/Family/cda0306.cfm
B. The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study www.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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You are writing a research paper exploring the life of Christopher Columbus. Examine both sites and decide which site is more credible and authoritative.
A. Explorers A to Zhttp://allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/columbus
B. Florida Natural History Museum – Caribbean Archaeology
http://www.flmnh.ufl .edu/caribarch/columbus.htm
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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You are thinking about buying a new cell phone. You would like to read what some reviews about cell phones. Which web site would you use?
A. Center for Consumer Freedomhttp://www.consumerfreedom.com
B. Consumer Reports http://www.consumerreports.org
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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You are writing a paper about the use and abuse of pesticides. Which web site would you use?
A. The Eff ects of Pesticides from the Global Healing Center
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/eff ects-of-pesticides.html
B. Pesticides in Fish and Shellfi sh from the Environmental Defense Fund
http://apps.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=16263
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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Compare these two websites and determine their purpose, expertise (authority), and credibility.
A. Factcheck.org http://www.factcheck.org
B. JustFacts.com http://www.justfacts.com
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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Compare these two websites and determine their purpose, expertise (authority), and credibility.
A. Chiropractic: An Introduction from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/chiropractic/introduction.htm
B. Chiropractic Quick Facts from the International Chiropractors Association
http://www.chiropractic.org/?p=chiroinfo/main
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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Compare these two websites and determine their purpose, expertise (authority), and credibility. Which one would you use?
A. Use of Drugs in Farm Animals: Benefi ts and Risks
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5137&page=R1
B. Antibiotic Residues Extremely Rare
http://olsonpr.com/2010/08/25/rare-antibiotic-residues-in-beef/
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
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Authorship:Do the authors have authority on the topic? .com, .org, .gov, .edu?
Currency:Is this site out of date for your topic?
Accuracy:Works cited? Does the information fit with what you know?
Purpose:Why was the site created?
REVIEW OF EVALUATION CRITERIA
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Thanks to Stephanie Wells, who created the original PowerPoint presentation upon which this one is based.
CREDITS
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