This document provides information about evaluating research sources and websites for academic papers. It discusses different types of sources like scholarly articles, popular magazines, newspapers, and primary vs secondary sources. It provides checklists for evaluating websites, including looking at the author's credentials, timeframe covered, objectivity, bibliography, and format. The document also demonstrates how to analyze URLs and provides tips for determining the reliability and purpose of different sites. Overall, the document aims to teach students how to carefully evaluate sources and choose the most appropriate ones for research.

1. English 101 – Mrs. SalazarApril 26, 2011Evaluating SourcesBy Gina Singh

2. Research SourcesSEARCH TOOL:LIBRARY CATALOGENCYCLOPEDIASProvide short entries/articles for an overview of the topic and its main ideas .SEARCH TOOL:PERIODICAL DATABASEBOOKSGive more information for an in-depth exploration of one or more aspects of the topic.(Example: Case study books, textbooks)JOURNAL ARTICLESLengthy scholarly research studies on an extremely focused aspect of a subject.

3. Research SourcesSEARCH TOOL:PERIODICAL DATABASENEWSPAPER ARTICLESVery brief news reports that focus on current events or topics currently in the news. MAGAZINE ARTICLESAs short as encyclopedia articles, but instead of an overview, magazines narrow the focus to one or two specific aspects of a topic.

4. Types of ResourcesScholarly SourcesIt has abstract in the beginningIt may have a list of keywordsArticle has a research problemMentions studies that have addressed the problem in the pastHas a purpose statementHas research question and hypothesisUses qualitative, quantitative or mixed method approach to conduct researchHas a conclusion at the endHas a bibliography or reference list at the endPopular Sources: Magazine articles like Style, Newsweek, Time etc.Newspaper sources: LA Times, Whittier Daily News etc.Primary Sources: Original writings created at the time when the event occurred. Secondary Sources: Sources that evaluate, summarize, analyze written by experts from that field after the event has occurred. Source: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/sections/history/resources/pubs/usingprimarysources/index.cfm

5. Checklist for Evaluating Websites Author: Credentials & professional affiliationsTimeframe: Current or past view. What time period does your topic require? Objectivity : Point of View or Bias Bibliography: Citations and references to other sources Coverage: Relevance to the assignment. Is the source too narrow? Too broad? Can you understand it? Format, Organization, Appearance: Is it Easy to read? Source: http://libguides.uwb.edu/content.php?pid=103537&sid=778496

6. Start with the URLhttp://www.stanford.edu/~ccarson/articles/am_left.htmhttp://is the protocol or access methodwww.stanford.eduis the domain or host name.edu is the top level domain~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm is the directory path folder on the domain computer

7. Who is the author?Look for an “About Us” link on the page.

8. Is it a personal page? Check for a tilde (~) in the URL.

9. If you can’t figure out who is responsible for the page, try truncating the URL:http://www.stanford.edu/~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm

10. Lets PracticeCarefully read the following question and then examine the two websites to see which would be the better choice.

11. Which site would you use?You are writing a research paper about the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for a history class. Which site provides better information about bridge aerodynamics for you and your audience?A. Computational Bridge Aerodynamicswww.bridgeaerodynamicslab.us/index.htm B. Mark Ketchum’s Bridge Aerodynamics Pagewww.ketchum.org/wind.html C. Both choices are equally good. D. Neither choice appears reliable.

12. Which site would you use?You are writing a research paper on Sojourner Truth and want to find verifiable biographical information about her. Which of the following sources would be the better choice? A. San Antonio College LitWebwww.alamo.edu/sac/english/bailey/struth.htm B. Sojourner Truth – African American Historical Figurehttp://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue.html C. Both choices are equally good. D. Neither choice appears reliable.

13. Which site would you use?You are writing an essay exploring the life and work of Chinua Achebe and want to learn more about Achebe’s views. Which of the following sources would be the better choice? A. Chinua Achebewww.kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm B. The Failure Interview: Chinua Achebe by Jason Zaskyfailuremag.com/index.php/feature/article/chinua_achebe C. Both choices are equally good. D. Neither choice appears reliable.

14. Which site would you use?You are writing a research paper about theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis for his opposition to Hitler. Which of the following sources would be a better place to get an overview of his life and work?A. Bonhoefferwww.pbs.org/bonhoeffer B. Dietrich Bonhoefferwww.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/bonhoeffer C. Both choices are equally good. D. Neither choice appears reliable.

15. Which site would you use?You are writing a research paper exploring the pros and cons of using “marriage promotion” as a means to decrease poverty and improve families’ well-being. Which source below would be a more reliable source of statistics? Be prepared to explain your reasoning. A. The Heritage Foundationwww.heritage.org/Research/Family/cda0306.cfm B. The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Studywww.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/ C. Both choices are equally good. D. Neither choice appears reliable.

16. Website Evaluation ChecklistWho is responsible for website?Check the URL (Uniform Resource Locator or web site address) because it may the name and type of organization sponsoring the webpage. E.g. edu, com, museum, gov, net.Check for author of the website: Credentials, contact address, about link.Reason for webpage: Its purposeDetermine the origin of the document. Source: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/sections/history/resources/pubs/usingprimarysources/index.cfm#evaluating* Thanks to Stephanie Wells for sharing some of her slides.

17. Additional HelpFor more on primary & secondary sources:http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/help/sources.htmlSpotting Bias in news: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/handouts/broadcast_news/bw_bias_in_the_news.cfmTania ShabelnikLibguide: http://libguides.riohondo.edu/evaluatingwebsites

18. Start Research from the library homepageFIND BOOKSFIND JOURNAL, MAGAZINE, AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLESFIND CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS

19. For Off Campus Users: Access Rio Step 1Click on Off Campus Users

20. Accessing Access Rio Step 2