The InternetWhat Sites Can You Trust?

What Are We Looking For?

• Credibility

• Accuracy

• Bias/Objectivity

• Timeliness

• Relevance

CredibilityDo you trust the source

– Are they qualified?

– Can they be trusted?

– Will they stand behind the information?

O’Halloran, Thomas. Walter Cronkite on Television, 1976.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Walter_Cronkite_on_television_1976.jpg, Creative Commons License.

Credibility

If you’re looking for information on a pediatric nursing career, would you use this web site for the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board…

Credibility

Or an information from Yahoo Answers?

The answer came from this person…

Credibility

…but what do we know about Sabeltora?

Credibility

What about this Wikipedia article?…

Check the history of the article to see who wrote it…

Credibility

Recent contributors include ClueBot NG and Roast Pork!

How would that look in your Works Cited list?

Credibility

Go directly to the source of the information!

But don’t forget to evaluate the quality of that source, too!

Credibility

But there are credible web sites available. This is from the US Dept of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Government agencies are considered a credible source.

CredibilityAddress includes:

Example What is it? Credible?

.com or .net www.mcdonalds.comwww.angelfire.com/~joespage

Commercial or personal web sites.

Depends on the web site . Learn about the person/group responsible

.gov www.epa.gov Government Agencies

Yes

.edu www.hacc.eduwww.si.edu

Educational Institutions

Yes (usually)Beware of student web sites.

.org www.americanheart.orgwww.wikipedia.orgwww.martinlutherking.org

Organizations Learn about the organization, first. Anybody can get a “.org” address.

What does the web site’s address tell you?

Credibility

Use Google’s advanced search to find specific types of web sites. (.org, .gov)

Credibility

In this example, you will only have government web sites in your search results list.

Credibility

Creative commons license: “ Steiner, Peter. “On the internet, nobody knows you’re

a dog.” (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Internet_dog.jpg)

Accuracy

• Do they provide references?

• Is the information consistent with other sources?

• Shocking (unbelievable) information?

• Professional appearance?

Accuracy

Some web sites provide false information as entertainment.

Accuracy

Some are Hoax web sites. They’re trying to fool you! (Maybe just for fun)

Accuracy

Professionally done? Watch for:•Unattractive•Hard to read•Personal web pages•Crowded with ads

Bias/Objectivity

• Are all viewpoints covered?

• Fact or opinion?

• Purpose? To…

– Entertain

– Persuade or sell

– Inform

• Is it emotionally charged?

Bias / Objectivity

NRA – will promote all of the positive aspects of gun ownership.

May leave out the negative arguments.

Bias / Objectivity

Brady Campaign – will promote all arguments showing that gun ownership is bad.

May leave out the positive arguments.

Bias / Objectivity

http://www.vicks.com/products/nyquil/cold-flu-liquid-medicine/

Vicks will tell you how great NyQuil is!

Negatives? Only the things that the government makes them say!

Bias / Objectivity

http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=28319

The National Library of Medicine will promote just the facts about NyQuil.

They want you to make an informed decision on whether it is good or not!

Timeliness

• How old is the information?

• Can you tell how old it is?

• Could it be out-of date?

Timeliness

Nurses training info from 1978. Too many changes if you’re looking for career information.

OK, if you want to know what training was involved 30+ years ago!

Timeliness

Always look for a date published or updated. If none are found, be cautious.

Timeliness

Government web page (Center for Disease Control).

Do you see a problem, though?

Timeliness

Would you use this web page to help decide on a new phone?

Timeliness

This recipe was posted on 1/1/1995! Is it still ok to use it?

Relevance

• Audience – who is the web site intended for?

• Is it too detailed or too vague?

• Coverage – does it cover the correct time period or geographic area?

Relevance

You’re writing a paper for your political science

class about how a bill becomes a law…

The next 2 websites are both good government-sponsored web sites.

Which is a better source for your college paper?

Relevance

Relevance

Relevance

How did Bob Casey vote on ___ amendment on Feb 8, 2011?

Should you look in his biography?

Relevance

Or should you dig a little deeper?

What Are We Looking For?

• Credibility

• Accuracy

• Bias/Objectivity

• Timeliness

• Relevance