Reliable Sources ppt presented as part of the QEP Academic Research and Ethics in Writing Series.

1. The Onion: News or Not??
http://www.theonion.com/static/onion/img/dumb-readers/onion_fb_placeholder.png

2. Headlines from The Onion
• “Obama Vows To Split ISIS Into Dozens Of Extremist
Splinter Groups” (Sept 10, 2014)
• “ISIS poses a significant threat to U.S. interests both
overseas and at home, and that is why we are committed to
a limited military engagement that will fracture the terrorist
network’s leadership and consequently create a myriad of
smaller cells, each with its own violent, radical agenda,” said
Obama.
• http://www.theonion.com/articles/obama-vows-to-split-isis-
into-dozens-of-extremist,36903/

3. Headlines from The Onion
• “ExxonMobil, Chevron Locked In Bidding War To
Acquire Lucrative Pennsylvania Senator” (July 28, 2014)
• “… securing such a highly profitable elected official won’t be
cheap—it never is. Both of these companies know that if they
are fortunate enough to gain possession of this senator, the
acquisition will pay dividends for years to come.”
• http://www.theonion.com/articles/exxonmobil-chevron-locked-
in-bidding-war-to-acquir,36561/

4. literallyunbelievable.org
http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llznk1FLvX1qkt6yoo1_500.png

5. literallyunbelievable.org
http://33.media.tumblr.com/67013a311fa0c9493fa21fbcc5182c5b/tumblr_nbefekO6pt1qkt6yoo1_1280.png

6. Safeguards
• Forbes, 8/18/2014: “Facebook Is Testing A 'Satire' Tag
Since Users Think The Onion Articles Are True”
• “Facebook spokesman Jessie Baker said that the news feed
units were designed to surface popular links that are shared
on Facebook, but the company does not make any judgment
about whether the links are true or false ‘just as we don’t
make any judgment about whether the content of your
status updates are true or false.’”

7. Safeguards
• Boston Globe, 5/4/2014: “Facebook draws fire on ‘related
articles’ push”
• “‘They have really screwed up,’ said Emily Bell, director of
Columbia Journalism School’s Tow Center for Digital
Journalism. ‘If you are spreading false information, you
have a serious problem on your hands. They shouldn’t be
recommending stories until they have got it figured out.’”
• The incident is important, Bell said, because it illustrates the
danger of having a company such as Facebook become one
of the world’s most widespread purveyors of news and
information.

8. “I Found it Online….”
• Hetracil
• http://www.hetracil.com/index.html
• The Ova Prima Foundation
• http://www.ovaprima.org/
• RYT Hospital
• http://rythospital.com/
• Dehydrated Water
• http://www.buydehydratedwater.com/home.html

9. The 6thMost Popular Website
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/80/Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg/220px-Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg.png

10. Wikipedia
• Web-based encyclopedia
• Contains information on an impressively wide range of
topics.
• Functions through a type of web software known as
“wikis.”
• Merriam-Webster: “a web site that allows visitors to make
changes, contributions, or corrections”
• Controversial in the world of academic research
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia

11. Deepwater Horizon
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Business/Pix/pictures/2010/10/19/1287476298203/Deepwater-Horizon-006.jpg

12. Wikipedia
• Cnet, 3/20/2014: “BP accused of rewriting environmental
record on Wikipedia”
• According to this article, “BP is not directly editing its page, but
instead has apparently inserted a BP representative into the
editing community who provides Wikipedia editors with text.
The text is then copied "as is" onto the page by Wikipedia
editors. Readers might assume its unbiased information when
its, in fact, vetted by higher-ups at BP before hitting the page.”
• A company, organization, or institution editing its own
Wikipedia page immediately raises questions about bias and
credibility.

13. Usefulness of Wikipedia
• What is the capital of Cameroon?
• Where is Lake Baikal?
• Where was the Buddha from?
• Who is Ann Dunham?

14. Problems with Wikipedia
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Wikipedia_articl
es_needing_factual_verification
• REMEMBER: Wikipedia claims to be nothing more than
an encyclopedia, which should never be your only
research resource.

15. What Is the #1 Website?
http://www.barronmind.com/WMHlogoweb.gif

16. Google
http://cdn1.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/02/google_chrome.png

17. Google Search Tools
• Weather
• Time
• Sunrise & Sunset
• Calculator
• Public Data
• Unit Conversion
• Maps

18. What Are “Filter Bubbles?”
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41qRZ-tUhGL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

19. What Are “Filter Bubbles?”
• http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_f
ilter_bubbles?language=en#t-516567

20. You Are a Scholar
• Resources such as Google and Wikipedia are great for
finding basic, practical information, but they are
inadequate for research purposes.
• When performing academic research, Google and
Wikipedia can be useful for giving you an overview of
your topic, but you should always consult (and cite)
reliable academic sources in your scholarly work.
• Remember the CRAAP test!

21. Where to Look?
• GALILEO
• JSTOR
• Credo Reference
• Books: Library’s Reference Collection
• Journals
• Ask a librarian.
• Ask your professor.

22. Resources
• “Facebook Is Testing A 'Satire' Tag Since Users Think
The Onion Articles Are True,” Amit Chowdhry, Forbes, 8/18/2014
• http://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2014/08/18/facebook-is-testing-
a-satire-tag-since-users-think-the-onion-articles-are-true/
• “Facebook draws fire on ‘related articles’ push,” Michael
Kranish, Boston Globe, 5/4/2014
• http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2014/05/03/facebook-push-related-
articles-users-without-checking-credibility-draws-fire/
rPae4M2LlzpVHIJAmfDYNL/story.html
• “BP accused of rewriting environmental record on
Wikipedia,” Violet Blue, Cnet, 3/20/2013
• http://www.cnet.com/news/bp-accused-of-rewriting-environmental-record-
on-wikipedia/

23. Resources
• “Beware online ‘filter bubbles,’” Eli Pariser, TED, March 2011
• http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles?lan
guage=en#t-516567