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Evaluating Web Sites That Are Suitable For Research

Did you solve the puzzle of the 9 dots in the electronic handout College Study Tips? Want help?  http://mathforum.org/k12/k12puzzles/join.dots.html .   What might we take from this exercise? Post your response to the discussion board just for fun.

WEEK #1 ASSIGNMENT :

Have you ever conduced an internet search and ended up at a web site that looked authentic, or that had been authored by an agency or person who appeared to know what they were talking about? You are not alone. Most internet users have a hard time distinguishing between reputable and non-reputable sites. The volume of non-reputable sources that students cite when they conduct research on the web evidences this.

HOW TO EVALUATE WEB SITES RESOURCES

When the internet was first introduced it was hard not to believe most of what was posted. Most of us know that anyone can have a web site, even you. The growth of BLOGS has made it obvious that we can not believe all of what we read on the web. Many sites look legitimate.  Sometimes it difficult to know for sure if they are.

How can you tell if the information you are reading is reputable or if it is written by a reliable source? "Garbage in, Garbage out",  as the computer scientists used to say. 

RESOURCE WEB SITES:

1. First, skim over one or more of these resources to learn various methods  for evaluating a site.  You don't need to read every page, just  a few until you feel you have a good idea of how to evaluate a web site.  You can tell us what you used in the past but that won't earn you a grade unless you can cite it.

Cornell http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webcrit.html

http://www.classzone.com/books/research_guide/page_build.cfm?content=web_eval_criteria&state=none

Harvard http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page346375

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html.  ICYouSee: T is for Thinking A Guide to Critical Thinking About What You See on the World Wide Web Ithaca College Library

One of your colleagues has contributed the following resourcesWidener University:  http://www.widener.edu/libraries/wolfgram/evaluate.  This tutorial uses Authority, Accuracy, Currency and Objectivity as a means of evaluation and has a wonderful video to teach effective website evaluation skills. 

 Alastair Smith from Victoria University of Wellington Department of Library and Information Studies in New Zealand.    http://www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/alastair_smith/evaln/index.htm

 
This is a good site for organizing your thoughts. Look a the CARS method listed on this page. This link will give you an outline of what to consider:

 http://www.lib.sun.ac.za/library/eng/help/Infolit2002/cars.htm

 WEBSITES FOR EVALUATING

Now it is time to use your new knowledge.

Below are some possible websites for you to evaluate, or you can find a site that involves aging on your own. Be sure to put the URL in the subject line of your posting.

1. Apply one of the above methods of evaluation to the site you choose. 

• Tell us which method you used. Go through each step and explain it.
• You can tell us what you have used in the past but that won't earn you a grade unless you can cite it.
• Remember, this is a research assignment based on facts you have located, not just from personal experience; tell us where you got it.

2. Then tell us what, if anything, you have learned from this assignment?
3. Why would you think this knowledge would be important to have for this class?

http://nihseniorhealth.gov--- NIH Senior Health- Be sure to look at any
features that help or hinder older adults who visit this site. Click the        
audio button at the top and see what you think.

http://www.globalaging.org/pension/us/socialsec/index.htm there are many sites here that deal with retirement issues.

http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0820/1999_June/54668661/p1/article.jhtml. Evaluate this article or find one within this web site written by this organization . A link to the entire web site is located here.  

Who are these People? http://websearch.about.com/od/referencesearch/a/evaluatesource_2.htm

 If you like, try these offered by Discoveryschool.com. http://school.discoveryeducation.com/students/ 

Cleopatra's Palace
Get the inside scoop on this legendary queen.

Woolly Mammoth
Test your Ice Age I.Q., and see if you can beat extinction.

Women of the Century
Get to know 100 years of phenomenal women.

The Search for Ancient Sharks
Meet the terrifying ancestors of today's sharks.

Understanding the Universe
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to make sense of space.

Understanding Slavery
Read personal accounts, witness an auction, and gain a global view.

Space-Age Living
See how 16 countries are building one base in space.

The Dirt on Soil
Find out what's really going on down there.

Explore Galapagos
Meet weird, wonderful creatures like the blue-footed booby.

Planet Ocean
Take an underwater dive with barracudas and tubeworms.

Salem Witch Trials
Learn the truth behind these terrible trials.