When I receive information, I usually. . .

accept that the information is true.

OR do I . . .

verify the author’s claims/facts.

Know Your Personal Biases

Do I tend to look at things as either: “right/wrong” OR “good/bad” ?

Know Your Personal Biases

•Insecurity

•Fear

•Ignorance

•Peer/Family influence

Do I tend to hold on to misbeliefs?

How to Know a Reliable Site

• What type of website is it?

• Who is behind the website?

• Is the information supported with verifiable evidence?

What type of website?

•selling a service or product•offering tips/advice•news/blogs•governmental •scholarly article•Wikipedia-type site•selling an opinion or political agenda

Who’s Behind the Website?

Who provides the information?

Check to see if site provides an identifying link:

“About Us”

“Who We Are”

“Mission Statement”

credentials: the education, work, or other experience

that qualifies an individual to address a particular topic.

Do you want a Friend or an Expert?

Image:Paramount Pictures

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks

Reliable site: an authoritative, balanced, and accurate source whose claims can be verified.

to verify: to determine the accuracy of a statement, fact, or statistic

Unsupported Statements

Student’s claim: According to Ebreastaug.com, Americans spent $12 billion on looking beautiful (ebreastaub.com).

Cited source:

Supported Statements

Revised claim: “In 2005, Americans spent approximately $8 billion on surgeons’ fees for cosmetic medical treatments (ASAPS, 2006).”

Cited source: American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank—2005 Statistics. New York, NY: ASAPS, 2006.

Supported Statements

Student discovered statistical data in the following article:

Sarwer, David. “Physical Appearance & Cosmetic Medical Treatments: Socio-Cultural Influences.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 2 (2006): 29-39.

Verifying Sources

Check credentials of author:

Listed in library databases?

Reliability of Author: Credentials

Is author the subject of internet chatter?

Google the author’s name

How to Tell a Reliable Site

• What type of website is it?

• Who is behind the website?

• Is the information supported with verifiable evidence?

City-Data

People Finder Web Sites

Spokeo.com

Pipl

ZabaSearch

Been Verified

USSearch