Learning How to Search and Evaluate Information

EMSB Adult Education & Vocational Services Conference
November 7th, 2014
Learning How to Search and Evaluate Information
Rafael Scapin, Ph.D.
Coordinator of Educational Technology
Dawson College

Content
Digital Literacy is the ability to effectively
and critically navigate, evaluate and create
information using a range of digital
technologies.
This practical 2-hour workshop will present
techniques on how to effectively search,
gather and evaluate online information.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nZkq31J-GY

InfoWhelm
Source: http://youtu.be/cWkQq5qmdmc

Survey
Go to:
http://Pollev.com

Survey
Google: 742852
Bing: 742853
Yahoo! 742854
Other: 742855

Survey
https://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/MWMkUQemiWe38kb

There is also Bing!
Source: http://bing.com

And Baidu in China
Source: http://baidu.com

How the World is Searching
Image Source: : http://www.fastcocreate.com/3019595/creativity-by-the-numbers/see-a-map-of-the-world-revealing-each-countrys-most-visited-websit
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2443825/Google-rules-West-Japan-prefers-Yahoo-Map-reveals-different-
internet-giants-dominate-countries-globe.html

Bing vs Google
Source: http://www.bing-vs-google.com/

Digital Literacy
Source: http://21cif.com/resources/difcore/index.html

Locating Information
Locating Information Efficiently
What Information Am I Looking For?
Where Will I Find the Information?
How Will I Get There?
Source: http://21cif.com/resources/difcore/index.html

Google Search by Language
Source: http://data-arts.appspot.com/globe-search

How Google Search Works
Source: http://youtu.be/BNHR6IQJGZs

How Google Search Works
Source: http://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/thestory/

Searching as Part of Our Daily Life

Beyond Google
Carrot organizes your search results
into topics
http://search.carrot2.org/stable/search
DuckDuckGo provides instant
answers
https://duckduckgo.com/
Blekko organizes content in
semantic schema and pulls search
results from a wide variety of
online. sources
http://blekko.com/
A Google alternative safe search
engine for students
http://www.infotopia.info/

Google Search: Tricks
Source: http://mashable.com/2011/11/24/google-search-infographic/
Google Operators: http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html

Source: http://www.google.com/advanced_search

Source: http://www.google.ca/insidesearch/tipstricks/all.html
Source: http://easilymused.com/2012/03/google-search-results-too-good-to-be-true-heres-why/
http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/course/ps/assets/PowerSearc
hingQuickReference.pdf

Source: http://lifehacker.com/top-10-clever-google-search-tricks-1450186165

Searching Strategies
Identify Keywords
Ignore the “small” words (what, are, the, etc.), words
connected to time (sometimes, always, perhaps, often, etc.)
and words that show relation (effects, lead to, increases,
etc.)
Example:
What are the effects of media on bullying among children?
Main concepts
Source: http://www.unlockingresearch.com/search-strategies/identify-keywords/

Now find some synonyms
Different authors will use different words to write about
their topics.
http://www.synonym.com/

Fill in a Keyword Chart

Combine Keywords (or, and not)
OR combines your synonyms and related terms to find
documents that contain any or all of the words. It broadens
your search and produces more results.
Example: Car OR vehicle
http://www.unlockingresearch.com/search-strategies/combine-keywords/

AND combines your different concepts to find only the
documents that contain all of the keywords. It narrows
your search and produces fewer results.
Example: Car AND fuel

NOT followed by a keyword will exclude all the
documents that contain that particular word. It is a
way of avoiding unrelated articles. Use it with caution
as you may miss out on potentially useful material.
Example: Drugs NOT heroin

Example of Keyword Chart

More Tips
Truncation (*, ?)
Truncation will find all the variants of a word.
For example child* will find child, children, and
childhood.
This saves you time. If your research is looking at how
poverty affects children, the search statement would
be:
poverty AND child*
Always check the help page of the database to know
the correct symbol to use.

More Tips
Grouping
Grouping will create a more focused search.
Quotations “ ”
Quotations allow you to search for an exact
phrase. The search will only bring back results
that contain that phrase.
Example:
street kids 1,025,026 results
“street kids” 6,416 results

Too Many Results?
Your search come up with 1,760 results?
Make your topic more specific by asking questions:
Who? Who is involved, who is affected? If you’re
interested in poverty be more specific: poverty in
single-parent families.
Where? Are you interested in data from Canada?
When? Are you researching the last 5 years or
during the 1960s?
http://www.unlockingresearch.com/search-strategies/too-many-results/

Too Many Results?
Modify your search by adding, removing or changing your
keywords:
Add in your other concepts using the AND Boolean
operator when necessary.
Remember that AND will narrow your search by making it
more specific.
Example: drug abuse AND sports
Use a different keyword from your list of synonyms
Example: substance abuse instead of drug abuse
Enter fewer synonyms or try a narrower term
Example: teenagers instead of youth

Too Few Results?
Modify your search by adding, removing or changing your
keywords:
Add in your other concepts using the AND Boolean
operator when necessary.
Remember that AND will narrow your search by making it
more specific.
Example: drug abuse AND sports
Use a different keyword from your list of synonyms
Example: substance abuse instead of drug abuse
Enter fewer synonyms or try a narrower term
Example: teenagers instead of youth

Too Few Results?
Add in more synonyms or related terms.
The more related terms you have the broader your search
will be. These are words connected by the OR Boolean
operator.
Use the truncation symbol to get all the variants of a word.
Example: aggress* will get you aggressive, aggression,
aggressiveness.
http://www.unlockingresearch.com/search-strategies/too-few-results/

Google Power Searching Courses
Improve your Google search skills with Power Searching and
Advanced Power Searching online courses.
Source: http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/

Specialized Search Engines
Google Images: is a search service that allows users to search
the Web for image content.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t99BfDnBZcI#t=22

Google Images: is a search service that allows users to search
the Web for image content.
http://images.google.com

Google Image
Who is this person? Which place is this?
http://images.google.com
http://www.visualnews.com/2013/12/30/22-
pictures-famous-people-young/

Google Handwrite: lets you write your search right on the Google
homepage. It’s available on Google.com from your smartphone or tablet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyeJXKfAcpc

Google Instant: lets you write your search right on the Google
homepage. It’s available on Google.com from your smartphone or tablet
http://www.google.com/insidesearch/features/instant

Google Scholar: Provides a search of scholarly literature across many
disciplines and sources, including theses, books, abstracts and articles.
http://scholar.google.com

Google Drive: Provides a research tool (for articles, papers)
http://drive.google.com

Google News: A news aggregator selecting most up-to-date
information from thousands of publications by an automatic aggregation
algorithm.
http://news.google.com

Google Books: searches the full text of books and magazines that
Google has scanned, converted to text using optical character recognition,
and stored in its digital database
http://books.google.com

Google Blog Search: specialized service of Google which
is used to search blogs.
http://www.google.ca/blogsearch

Youtube: a video sharing website
Youtube Stats
http://youtube.com

Slideshare: a slide hosting website
http://slideshare.com

Find Sounds: a free site where you can search the Web for sound
effects.
http://www.findsounds.com/

IMDb: online database of information related to films, actors, television
programs, and video games.
http://www.imdb.com

Wikipedia: a collaboratively edited, multilingual, free Internet
encyclopedia supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.
http://www.wikipedia.org
26 million articles in 286 languages
A 2005 investigation
in Nature showed that the science
articles they compared came close to
the level of accuracy of Encyclopædia
Britannica and had a similar rate of
"serious errors“.
Source:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full
/438900a.html

Evaluating Information
Source: http://www.theonion.com/articles/apple-announces-plans-for-new-ipad-with-extra-stor,31067/

Evaluating Information: The CRAAP Test
Evaluating anything you read, print or web based,
involves questioning.
Is it good information? Or is it CRAAP? CRAAP is an
acronym representing 5 criteria for evaluating
information.
The C.R.A.A.P. test was created by the Meriam Library at California
State University

CRAAP
Currency
The timeliness of the information. Are there dates on the page
to indicate:
• when it was written?
• when it was first placed on the Web?
• when it was last revised?
• Is it the most recent revision or version of the document?
• Are all the links on the site current and working, i.e. are there
outdated or "dead" links?
• Are there any other indications that the material is kept
current?

CRAAP
Relevance
The importance of the information for your needs.
• Does it relate to my topic?
• Does it help me answer a question or solve a problem?
• Does it fill in background information or provide specific information?
• Could it help to form my central argument?
• Will it help me locate other information?
• Does it provide evidence or support my ideas? Does it provide a good
example?
• Is it new information or am I just restating what I have already said?
• What does it add to my work? Would my assignment be just as good
without it?

CRAAP
Authority
The source of the information
• Is it clear who produced or sponsored the site or what
institution or organization its author(s) is affiliated with?
• Is there a link describing the purpose of the sponsoring
organization?
• Is this organization recognized in the field in which you are
studying?
• Is it clear who wrote the material? And what the author's
qualifications are?
• Is there an address to contact for more information?
• If the material is protected by copyright, is the name of the
copyright holder given?

CRAAP
Accuracy
The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the informational
content presented.
• Are sources of any factual information listed in a clear and
complete manner so that they can be verified if necessary?
• Is the information free of grammatical, spelling, and other
errors?
• If statistical data is presented in graph or chart form, is it legible
and clearly labeled?

CRAAP
Purpose
The reason the information exists.
• Is the information provided as a public service?
• Does the point of view appear to be objective and impartial? Does it
acknowledge other perspectives or conflicting information?
• If there is any advertising on the page, is it clearly differentiated from
the informational content?
• Are the authors' biases (if any) clearly stated i.e. is it an opinion piece?
A political message? A product advertisement?
• Be alert to political, religious, ideological, cultural, institutional or
personal biases
• Is it meant to inform? Teach? Or is it meant to entertain? Persuade? Sell
a product, an idea, or way of thinking?
• Is the information fact? Or is it propaganda? Opinion?

http://prezi.com/ndwm9qsawi8x/craap-test-and-wikipedia/

Evaluating Information: 6 Criteria for Websites
1. AUTHORITY
Authority reveals that the person, institution or agency responsible for a
site has the qualifications and knowledge to do so. Evaluating a web site for
authority:
Authorship: It should be clear who developed the site.
Contact information should be clearly provided: e-mail address, snail mail
address, phone number, and fax number.
Credentials: the author should state qualifications, credentials, or personal
background that gives them authority to present information.
Check to see if the site supported by an organization or a commercial body
http://libraries.dal.ca/using_the_library/tutorials/evaluating_web_resources/6_criteria_for_websites.html

2. PURPOSE
The purpose of the information presented in the site should be
clear. Some sites are meant to inform, persuade, state an opinion,
entertain, or parody something or someone. Evaluating a web site
for purpose:
• Does the content support the purpose of the site?
• Is the information geared to a specific audience (students,
scholars, general reader)?
• Is the site organized and focused?
• Are the outside links appropriate for the site?
• Does the site evaluate the links?

3. COVERAGE
It is difficult to assess the extent of coverage since depth in a site,
through the use of links, can be infinite. One author may claim
comprehensive coverage of a topic while another may cover just
one aspect of a topic. Evaluating a web site for coverage:
• Does the site claim to be selective or comprehensive?
• Are the topics explored in depth?
• Compare the value of the site’s information compared to other
similar sites.
• Do the links go to outside sites rather than its own?
• Does the site provide information with no relevant outside
links?

4. CURRENCY
Currency of the site refers to:
1) how current the information presented is, and
2) how often the site is updated or maintained. It is important to
know when a site was created, when it was last updated, and if all
of the links are current.

5. OBJECTIVITY
Objectivity of the site should be clear.
Beware of sites that contain bias or do not admit its bias freely.
Objective sites present information with a minimum of bias.
Evaluating a web site for objectivity:
• Is the information presented with a particular bias?
• Does the information try to sway the audience?
• Does site advertising conflict with the content?
• Is the site trying to explain, inform, persuade, or sell
something?

6. ACCURACY
Evaluating a web site for accuracy:
• Reliability: Is the author affiliated with a known, respectable
institution?
• References: do statistics and other factual information receive
proper references as to their origin?
• Does the reading you have already done on the subject make
the information seem accurate?
• Is the information comparable to other sites on the same
topic?
• Does the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling and
composition?
• Is a bibliography or reference list included?

Sharing Files
Source: http://drive.google.com/start

Social Bookmarking
Source: http://delicious.com
Browser widget

Content Curation
Source: http://www.scoop.it

Content Curation
Source: http://www.paper.li

Content Curation
Source: http://www.livebinders.com

Digital Literacy
Source: http://www.medialiteracyweek.ca/en/press_articles10_digitalliteracycanada.htm

Practical Example: Learning Situation
Multicultural Potluck Festival
Your class is composed by students from different countries. They will
organize an annual potluck, with typical foods from their countries.
• You will make a list of all the countries.
• Students cannot select their own country, so they can learn other
countries’ foods and culture.
• A draw will define which country will be assigned to each student.
• The students will: research the most popular foods of each country,
learn how to prepare them and how to pronounce them on the
original language, prepare a poster with info on the selected country,
like flag, map, languages spoken, etc.
Adapted from: http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/sections/formationBase/pdf/doc/41-6014-A_EnglishLI.pdf

Practical Example: Learning Situation
Multicultural Potluck Festival
Algeria Australia
Brazil Haiti
India
Adapted from: http://www.mels.gouv.qc.ca/sections/formationBase/pdf/doc/41-6014-A_EnglishLI.pdf

Using Google Translate to Order Food
Source: http://youtu.be/wxDRburxwz8

Searching on the Web: Google Nose
Source: http://youtu.be/9-P6jEMtixY

Resources
21st Century Information Fluency: http://21cif.com/index.html
Unlocking Research: http://www.unlockingresearch.com/search-strategies/
Google’s Digital Literacy Tour: http://www.google.com/edu/resources/digital-literacy.html
Evaluating
http://www.googleguide.com/evaluating_results.html
Google Power Searching Course:
http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/
Google Search Quick Reference
http://www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com/course/ps/assets/PowerSearchingQuickRefere
nce.pdf

Contact Me
Rafael Scapin, Ph.D.
rscapin@dawsoncollege.qc.ca
rscapin
DawsonITE Blog
http://dawsonite.dawsoncollege.qc.ca

Learning How to Search and Evaluate Information

Learning How to Search and Evaluate Information

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