“It has to be correct. I found it on the Internet.” Fact or Myth???

Correct! Myth!**Anyone can “publish” on the Internet. You can find excellent resources and total junk. It is up to the user to judge each site.

The best way to find Internet sites that are reliable, accurate, appropriate and educational is by using the Online Resources provided through the DHS library. However, there will be times when you will need to use a “general” Internet site. Here is guide to help you locate the best web pages:

It all begins with your search technique!

Have you ever typed a keyword into a search engine and it returned over 12 million websites? I would venture to guess that all of those sites were not what you were looking for. Here are a few tips to help make your searches more productive!

Stop searching and start finding what

you need!

TIP #1Use the Basic Boolean Operators AND (+), OR, and NOT (-).

+Dulles +Vikings

Retrieves documents with both Dulles and Vikings.

Dulles Vikings

Dulles -Airport

Retrieves documents that contain the word Dulles but not the word Airport.Dulles Airport

Dulles OR DHS

Retrieves documents that contain the words Dulles or DHS.

Dulles DHS

Let’s try tip #1

First, click on the google address below and try using the Boolean Operators. ***Record the number of hits for each and the first website that is returned…www.google.com

1. Search for Dulles OR DHS (The OR must be capitalized)

2. Search for Dulles –DHS (There is no space between -and D)

3. Search for +Dulles +DHS (There is no space between +and D)

The number of hits you received for each search should have gone

down!

Remember, if you are specific in your search terms you will have

better results.

Tip #2Group a phrase together using quotation marks (“”) so that the search engine is looking for the exact phrase not each individual word.**Let’s try looking for Abraham Lincoln’s

Gettysburg Address.

Use the google search engine

and the type in the following: Fourscore and seven

4. How many hits did you get?

Now try it as: “Fourscore and seven”

5. How many hits did you get this time? Google.com

The number of hits you received for these searches should be

dramatically different.

Remember when searching for a phrase always place the phrase in

quotation marks. (“”)

Tip #3: Check the URL!

A tilde ( ~ ), a percent sign ( % ), or the general web-hosts like geocities, or the words "users," "members," or "people” indicate this is a personal web-page. This person may or may not be an expert on the topic. Anyone can post a website! Typically you do not want to use such a site.http://faculty.washington.edu/~krumme/207/support/sl-story.html

Tip #3: Check the URL! More examples:

Government sites contain .gov, .mil, or a country code

ex: http://www.nps.gov

Educational sites: look for .edu or K12

ex: http://www.tamu.edu

Nonprofit organizations: look for .org

ex: http://www.netserf.org/

Let’s Practice tip #3!Based on the URLs, decide if each web-site is one that you might trust or one that you would question.

6. http://www.netserf.org/

7. http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Tower/3098/charlemange.html

8. http://history.boisestate.edu/westciv/medieval/

9. http://members.aol.com/tmatrust/home.html

10. http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/OakViewES/harris/96-97/agespages/middle-ages/index.html

Let’s check how you did..

6. Trust – ended in .org7. Question – includes geocities8. Trust - .edu with no name included9. Question – includes the word “members”10. Question – even though it includes .k12.us it also has the abbreviation for elementary school (ES) and includes and individual’s name

Tip #4

Be sure to try out a handful of sites when researching a topic on the Internet. Do not rely on only one site or one type of site.

Tip # 5: Always evaluate your websites!

Use C.A.R.D.S. to help you!

Credibility

Accuracy

Reliability

Date

Scope

Anyone can create a web-page so you need to be selective about the authors you decide to cite for your research project.

Check the following:

Is the author's name and e-mail address provided somewhere on the site's home page.

What are his or her credentials? Is the author an authority in the field? (Be suspect if the page lists no educational credentials. Does the person have an advanced degree? Is the degree related to the page you are evaluating? A professor of physics, may not have particular expertise writing about the Holocaust.)

CREDIBILITY:

CREDIBILITY:

Is the author affiliated with an institution or organization? Do the affiliations suggest that the author may have a bias or special interest?

Check the links – what exactly is this author supporting or who is the

author supported by?

Can the facts, statistics, or other information be verified through other sources? Based on your knowledge, does the information seem accurate?Always verify the information you find with another source!

11. Which website would you use to aide in your research about recreation for your dog?

Dog Site #1 Or

Dog Site #2 12. Why did you choose the site in question #11?

ACCURACY:

Did you say #1? If so, did you read the site? Do you really think there would be an island just for dogs?Yes, the site appears to be professional however, it contains false information. If you researched Dog Island you would find that it is not a special island for dogs.

Always be sure to check the information with other sites you know to be reliable.The best choice would have been site #2.

Does the source present a particular view or bias?

Is the source trying to persuade you to believe one thing or another?

Is the source trying to get you to purchase a

product? 13. Which website below presents only one view of the topic?

Website #1

Or

Website #2

14. When is it good to use a site with a bias?

RELIABILITY/Objectivity:

Website #1 is supported by Pro- Choice America. This site only gives the pro-choice point of view.

Website #2 is an unbiased presentation of U.S. public policy issues.

* If you were writing a persuasion paper you may want to read some of the biased sites.

Every Web site should provide the date of “creation” and “last update”. The date should be found at the bottom of the homepage. If not, is this really the site you want to use?Examine the most current materials first. Also, ask yourself, are these dates meaningful in terms of my subject matter? 15. Which site would you go to for the most current information on the conflict in Iraq?

Website #1

Or

Website #2:

16. Why would you not use the other site? (be specific)

DATE:

Website #1 is the CNN news web-page. If you clicked on the about CNN link at the bottom of the home-page, you would see that this site is updated continuously throughout the day. Great site for up-to-date materials!

Website #2 - It is connected to the Harvard Law School; however, it is not updated every day. The news article presented on Iraq is from 2002.

Scope

Always remember that most web-sites are not created for student research. They are created to sell a product, share a view point, or for research publication. So…

ScopeDoes this information directly support my hypothesis/thesis or help to answer my research question?

Is it a scholarly or popular approach of the topic?

Do I have the background knowledge the author assumes I have about the topic?

17. Check these 2 web-sites, which one would be best for to use if you were writing a research paper about the affects of second hand smoke?

Website #1

Website #2

Ask yourself these questions before you use the resource.

Website #1 is too low level for a high school research paper. It does not give you the information you need.

Website #2 is more scholarly and to the point.

Next time you surf the internet remember the

tips you just used!1. Use the Basic Boolean Operators AND (+), OR, and NOT (-).

2. Group a phrase together by using “ ”.

3. Check the URL.

4 Be sure to try out a handful of sites.

5. Always evaluate your websites! Use C.A.R.D.S. to help you!

REMINDERYou may NOT copy and paste information from the internet into your own assignments.

You can, on the other hand, put the information in your own words and be sure to give credit to the original author through documentation such as the MLA format.

Resources:

Clark, Jeanne. Evaluating the Internet. 2003. Engle, Michael. “Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools.” 14 April 2003. <http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/webeval.html>. Grassian, Esther. “Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources.” 6 Sept. 200.

<http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/index.htm>.

Valenza, Joyce. “Fort Bend Independent School District Workshop.” 7August 2003. <http://joycevalenza.com/fortbend.html>.

Valenza, Joyce. “Why Should I Take this Author Seriously?” 25 Aug. 2003. <http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/whyauthor.html>. Valenza, Joyce, “CARRDSS.” 25 Aug. 2003. <http://mciu.org/~spjvweb/carrdss.html>.