Transcript And Beyond
And Beyond How to Evaluate What You Have Searched from the Internet Your aim…. • … to get a small number of »relevant »specific »quality results…. However…. A majority of students: don’t know how to form a sound search query; don’t have a strategy for dealing with poor results; can’t articulate how they know content is credible; don’t check the author or date of an article. Students’ Primary Search “Strategy” ... wildly firing random terms into a search box, and hoping they’ll get lucky. Think Before You Search “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.” - Yogi Berra General Search Tools Most public libraries have free access to World Book SweetSearch searches 35,000 websites that research experts have evaluated and approved. Evaluating a Web Site How do you know what to believe? Evaluating Information on the Internet a Tutorial Evaluating your results are they….. what about… relevant? accurate? current? good quality? coverage? authority? content? sources? The Problem? – Quality Control • Anyone can publish ANYTHING they want online, including Wikipedia (you can selfpublish online: you don’t need an editor or a publisher, just some web space). • Some sites are MEANT to mislead – they have a hidden agenda Question your Sources – Content • You must learn to look at web sites with a critical eye • Just because you find it online doesn’t make it true • Think about the following as you find resources on the Internet: Purpose – Why • The very FIRST thing to do is determine why the page is there in the first place. • To inform? Entertain? To sell you something? • Is the advertising on the page separate from the content? • Follow the links – where is this site leading you? • The purpose may not always be obvious. • Does the site have any social or political biases? E.g., WhiteHouse.gov is not a neutral source for information on U.S. Presidents. Author – Who • Is there an author listed or an “about us/me” link? If so, read it. • Do a Google search on the author. • Go the root of a web site to find out who pays for the site. • If the site does not provide the name of the publisher and its editors you cannot rely on it. • Even if it “looks good or sounds good.” Personal Web Pages • Is it a personal web page or a professional web page? How can you tell the difference? • Someone’s first & last name • A site with “users” or “members” in the address: (i.e.) members.aol.com/ortiz/photos.htm • An academic site with a tilde (~) in the address: (i.e.) columbia.edu/~profmartin/china.html. Details – When • Is the web site current? When was it last updated? (look for a date) • Does the page have obvious spelling errors or false information? • Is the design professional or do-it-yourself? A Word on Domain Types www.google.com Top-level Domain (TLD) Restricted TLD • .edu – Limited to post-secondary accredited educational institutions • .gov – Limited to U.S. government agencies • .mil – Limited to use by the U.S. military Unrestricted TLD • .com • .org no longer restricted to nonprofits • .info • .net – Anyone can register a site with one of these domains – Take the information with a grain of salt (maintain a degree of skepticism about its truth) There are MANY other domains, including country-specific domains (ex. .au, .ca) Don’t Believe Everything You Read Students should think like a detective. A dose of healthy skepticism is required. Information is only as good as its source. No single element determines credibility. ALWAYS verify critical information with several sources. Remember… • Question your source: just because it’s online, doesn’t mean its true • Review your search results--make sure you’ve found what you need • Search smarter, find results faster • If you’re in doubt, throw it out Media Literacy Is It True? Sites to check accuracy How to identify and avoid spreading misinformation • • • • Google Scholar Snopes FactCheck.org WhoWhatWhen Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) • Wikipedia is a virtual collaborative effort between internet users to create an online encyclopaedia. You can even contribute information by clicking the “edit this page” tab. It is a good place to start for research. • We are told not to use it for research but everyone knows we use it to start off with. • Bear in mind that it should only be a starting point as the information provided is very general and possible unreliable. • You can click the citations at the end of the article to get further and more in-depth information. Internet Safety • • • • • Personal Information. • Downloading. • Bullying. Screen Name. • Social Networking. Photos. Online Friends. Online Ads. Internet Safety Understanding Spam and Phishing Internet Safety Your Browser's Security Features