Evaluating Resources

1
Evaluating Resources

• The Internet

2
Tools

• An evaluation guide
• Pacific Lutheran University Library (this one is
  the MOST user-friendly)
• Kathy Schrocks 5Ws for Evaluating Websites
• Southern Indiana Education Center

• Your BRAIN

3
Uniform Resource Locator

• Top level domain
• http//www.hsd401.org/ourschools/highschools/glob
  al/
• http//www.hti.umich.edu/m/moagrp/

4
Domain Extensions

• www.google.com
• www.peace.net
• www.washington.edu
• www.greenpeace.org
• www.cia.gov
• www.army.mil

• commercial
• network
• education
• organization
• government
• military

5
More Extensions

• www.amazon.co.uk
• www.amazon.co.ca
• www.amazon.co.jp
• www.amazon.co.mx

• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Japan
• Mexico

6
Page Creator

• Look for
• About us
• FAQs
• names

• Where?
• menu or tab bar
• top or bottom of home page

If you can not find a CREATOR you should be very
careful about using the information on this site!
7
Last Updated...SO?

• Information regarding stem cell research
• Last updated 9/12/1995
• Up-to-date?

• Information about the dwarf planet PLUTO
• Last updated
• 10/25/2006
• Up-to-date?

8
BIAS

• You find a site on global warming that claims
• not so bad
• positive consequences of Earth warming
• naturally occurring
• ocean creatures will adapt

9
BIAS

• You discover the site is sponsored by
• Shell Oil Company
• Should you trust this information?

10
BIAS 2

• In a research on Martin Luther King, Jr. you
  discover this site
• www.martinlutherking.org
• It looks not right somehow, but you arent sure
  why...

11
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?

12
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

13
Sponsors

• BIAS
• BIAS 2
• Check out
• About us
• FAQs
• Contacts
• ask your librarian

• Look carefully to see who is connected with the
  site you are on.
• Not sure? Go to
• Alexa
• WayBackMachine
• Google Directory
• AllWhois

14
Audience

• J. K. Rowlings website?
• U. S. Army website?
• Christian Coalition website?
• New York Times website?
• Greenpeace website?

15
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?

16
Design

• Are there paragraphs?
• Bulleted lists?
• Complete sentences?
• Correct spelling?
• Relevant graphics?

• Do sentences just
• skip around
• is there no real organization?
• do words get mispeled?
• Are the graphics distracting?

17
Usefulness

• Know what you need it for!

• www.martinlutherking.org
• bad for learning about MLK
• great for learning about hate groups or racist
  groups

18
Truthiness

• Balanced information?
• Factual data that can be supported?
• Credible point of view (is it believable or
  hokey?)

19
Rule of THREE

• A piece of information is likely to be valid if
  you can
• find the same information using three different
  resources

20
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!