Evaluating Resources

							Evaluating Resources
     The Internet
                 Tools
An evaluation guide       Your BRAIN
• Pacific Lutheran
  University Library
  (this one is the MOST
  user-friendly)
• Kathy Schrock’s 5Ws
  for Evaluating
  Websites
• Southern Indiana
  Education Center
    Uniform Resource
         Locator
Top level domain
 http://www.hsd401.org/ourschools/
 highschools/global/

 http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/
       Domain Extensions
•   www.google.com       •   commercial
•   www.peace.net        •   network
•   www.washington.edu   •   education
•   www.greenpeace.org   •   organization
•   www.cia.gov          •   government
•   www.army.mil         •   military
        More Extensions
•   www.amazon.co.uk   •   United Kingdom
•   www.amazon.co.ca   •   Canada
•   www.amazon.co.jp   •   Japan
•   www.amazon.co.mx   •   Mexico
         Page Creator
Look for              Where?
• “About us”          • menu or tab bar
• “FAQs”              • top or bottom of
• names                 home page


               If you can not find a CREATOR
               you should be very careful about
               using the information on this site!
    Last Updated...SO?
• Information           • Information about
  regarding stem cell     the dwarf planet
  research                PLUTO
• Last updated:         • Last updated:
  9/12/1995               10/25/2006

Up-to-date?             Up-to-date?
             BIAS
You find a site on global warming that
  claims
• not so bad
• positive consequences of Earth
  warming
• naturally occurring
• ocean creatures will adapt
             BIAS
You discover the site is sponsored by
• Shell Oil Company

Should you trust this information?
            BIAS 2
In a research on Martin Luther King,
  Jr. you discover this site:

www.martinlutherking.org

It looks “not right” somehow, but you
  aren’t sure why...
              BIAS 2
You then go to AllWhois and type in the URL
  for the MLK site. (Or, you find a link on
  the page.)

You discover it is sponsored by
  www.stormfront.org

Bias?
          References
• Union of Concerned Scientists
  – links provided for further research
  – evidence provided in text
• Rush On Line
  – no links for further research
  – no evidence provided in text
                  Sponsors
• BIAS                     • Look carefully to see
• BIAS 2                     who is connected with
                             the site you are on.
Check out                  • Not sure? Go to
                              –   Alexa
  –   “About us”
                              –   WayBackMachine
  –   “FAQs”
                              –   Google Directory
  –   “Contacts”
                              –   AllWhois
  –   ask your librarian
             Audience
•   J. K. Rowling’s website?
•   U. S. Army website?
•   Christian Coalition website?
•   New York Times website?
•   Greenpeace website?
                Links
• Where do they go?
  – related material? OR
  – CHEESE?


• Do the links support the previous page?
• Do the links provide some additional facts
  or evidence even if it does not agree?
              Design
• Are there            • Do sentences just
  paragraphs?               • skip around
• Bulleted lists?      • is there no real
• Complete               organization?
  sentences?           • do words get
• Correct spelling?      mispeled?
• Relevant graphics?   • Are the graphics
                         distracting?
          Usefulness
• Know what you   www.martinlutherking.org
  need it for!    • bad for learning
                    about MLK
                  • great for learning
                    about hate groups
                    or racist groups
         “Truthiness”
• Balanced information?
• Factual data that can be supported?
• Credible point of view (is it believable
  or hokey?)
       Rule of THREE
• A piece of information is likely to be
  valid if you can

  – find the same information using three
    different resources
      When in DOUBT
• Use a book from your library...
  – ENCYCLOPEDIAS are GREAT!
  – Reference books are SOLID!
  – Non-fiction books are FOCUSED!


• Or, ask your librarian!