EVALUATING WEBSITES

How To Find And Use Information On The Internet

LSC 524

Rosanne Beaudoin

What To Keep In Mind As You Search…

What To Keep In Mind As You Search…

• Anyone can publish anything on the web.

What To Keep In Mind As You Search…

• Anyone can publish anything on the web.

• All websites are not created equal.

What To Keep In Mind As You Search…

• Anyone can publish anything on the web.

• All websites are not created equal.

• There is more to a good search than clicking on the first website on your search results!

First step in finding a suitable website???

First step in finding a suitable website???

Search effectively!

Use the right keywords, and enough keywords:

Use the right keywords, and enough

keywords:

• Saturn and planet, not just Saturn.

Use the right keywords, and enough

keywords:

• Saturn and planet, not just Saturn.• Eoin Colfer biography, not just Eoin

Colfer.

Use the right keywords, and enough

keywords:

• Saturn and planet, not just Saturn.• Eoin Colfer biography, not just Eoin

Colfer.• “crime prevention“, not crime prevention.

Second step in finding a suitable website???

Second step in finding a suitable website???

Look at your search results before you start clicking away!

Third step in finding a suitable website???

Third step in finding a suitable website???

Ask

Questions!

• Authority - Is there an author? - Is the author qualified? - Is the sponsor of the page reputable?

• .gov, .mil, .us : government sites

• .edu - educational site

• .org - non-profit organization

• .com - commercial site

• Accuracy - Does the information appear to be error-free? - Does the website offer footnotes or links?

• Objectivity - Does the website offer unbiased information, or is the page designed to sway your opinion? - Is there any advertising on the page?

• Currency - Is the webpage dated? - When was the last update?

- Do the links still work?

• Coverage - Is what is offered on the website what you are looking for? - Is this as good a resource as can be found?

Alternatives to Googling?

Alternatives to Googling?

Use the websites recommended by your teacher or librarian.

Alternatives to Googling?

Use the databases available through your local library.

What about Wikipedia???

• Not a “bad” website

• Not the best choice for a research paper.

To Find a Good Website…

• Search effectively.

• Ask questions: Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency, Coverage

• Ask your teacher or librarian.

Happy Searching!

Bibliography

Terdiman, D. (2007). Growing Pains for Wikipedia, C/NET News.com,

http://www.news.com/Growing-pains-for- wikipedia/2100-1025-3-5981119.html

Beck, S. (2007). The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: or Why it’s a Good Idea to Evaulate Web Sources, http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html

Dalton, B.and Grisham, D. (2001). Teaching Students to Evaluate Internet Information Critically, Reading Online, http://www.readingonline.org/editorial/edit-index.asp?HREP=/editorial/december2001/index.html

YALSA, (2006) Find Good Websites Fast,www.ala.org/YALSA