Research Guide for ABE070 (Hayek): Evaluating and Crediting Online Resources
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Prepared by Elinor Appel May 21: Evaluating websites - click for in-class links May 26: Crediting your source - click for in-class links The work you do in these two classes will help you get and use the right kind of information for your final presentation.
Image source: School of Journalism and Communication, University of Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to the above source: "This cartoon by Peter Steiner has been reproduced from page 61 of July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker, (Vol.69 (LXIX) no. 20) only for academic discussion, evaluation, and research, [and] complies with the copyright law of the United States as defined and stipulated under Title 17 U. S. Code. |
Introduction
Greetings! My name is Elinor Appel. I am a faculty librarian at North Seattle Community College. I have prepared this class web page because I have discovered that most students don't take the time to evaluate or credit what they find on the Internet.
I want students to learn how to think critically about what they find online. This kind of analysis goes beyond schoolwork. Good information can help students with daily-life questions concerning parenting, health, and getting a job. In fact, I feel that the success of our country depends on the ability of its citizens to think critically about important issues.
- Mystery website 1 - we will practice filling out the the evaluation worksheet using this website
Discussion:
- Why do we need to know who the author of a website is?
- What are the characteristics of a "good" website with credible and/or authoritativeinformation?
- What are the characteristics of a "bad" website with unreliable and/or untrue information?
Group work
Evaluate the mystery website your group is assigned according to the web evaluation worksheet. Be ready to answer questions about the website based on the answers on your worksheet.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
More online resources - what characteristics tell you that the information on these websites is reliable?
Employment
Health Information
First take a look at these links and find the one that you feel is the most current and reliable:
- Daily Aspirin Therapy
- Aspirin is Good for the Heart -- If You're a Man
- Wonder Drug: Expect Wonders
- Why is Aspirin Good for Your Heart?
Analyze the website you selected using the first side of your handout.
Now turn the worksheet over. Find a quote or a fact from the website you selected and show how you would credit it. Write in complete sentences. Remember to answer the Who, What, Where questions.
Turn this work into me at the end of the hour.