Credible Sources

1
Credible Sources

• The quest to find good information on the
  internet.

2
What do you already know about the internet?

• Do you have the internet at home?
• What kind of information can be found on the web?
• Are you using the web sites as a source of
  information for papers or projects?
• Is everything you find on the internet true?

3
How can you tell if a site is credible?

• OBJECTIVITY
• Is the author being biased?
• Is the information slanted heavily toward a
  particular view?
• Is the page designed to sway opinion?
• Is there any advertising on the page?
• http//www.alternet.org/story/35846/?commentsview
  cID117735pID117710
• IF the answer is YES to any of the above
  questions, the data or material might be
  questionable.

4
How can you tell if a site is credible?

• ACCURACY
• Is the information accurate?
• Does the information sound accurate and is the
  grammar error-free?
• Is there an editor responsible for checking the
  information?
• IF the answer is NO to any of the above, the
  material may be questionable.

5
How can you tell if a site is credible?

• CURRENCY
• Is the information current?
• Is the page dated? If so, when was the last
  update?
• How current are the links?
• Have some links expired or moved?
• http//www.mcps.org/mcps.html, click on
  Blacksburg High School
• IF the answer is YES to any of the above, the
  material may be questionable.

6
How can you tell if a site is credible?

• AUTHORITY
• Is the author an expert on the subject?
• Are the authors identity and qualifications
  available?
• Is the author associated with an educational
  institution or other reputable organization (the
  domain name will give you a clue .org? .edu?
  .net? .gov? .com?)?
• Does the publisher or publication have a
  reputation for reliability?
• Is contact information available on the site?
• http//www.mcps.org
• IF the answer to any of the above is NO, the
  material may be credible.

7
Search Engines

• What are some popular ones?
• How does a search engine work?
• Helps you find relevant information for your area
• The more you articulate, the better your sites
  will be
• Match the key words you typed to words in an
  article or title.
• What do the tan boxes at the top mean?
• http//www.google.com/search?hlenqcars

8
Credible sites?

• http//www.recsports.vt.edu/intramurals/
• http//www.essaysedit.com/thesis.php
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/
  ResearchW/

9
Closing

• What criteria should we use to determine if a
  site is credible?
• Why do we need to know if a site is credible?