This document provides guidance on evaluating websites for research purposes. It discusses factors to consider such as the domain name extension and its implications for the website's purpose and authority. It also covers understanding the URL and breakdown of its components. The main criteria for evaluation covered are authorship, currency, accuracy, and purpose of the site. Examples are provided to demonstrate how to apply these criteria to determine the reliability of author information and choose between potential source websites.
Go beyond searching for obscure facts: Build websites; sell on auction sites; and blog. Your child can learn nearly every subject under the sun by taking part in these activities. Susan K. Stewart has over 30 years of computer experience and used the Internet in her homeschool during most of the teaching years. She manages her own websites and blogs and shares ideas for using the Internet that go beyond Google.
Savvy Shoppers: Web Evalutation for Middle School StudentsMargaret D. Keys
I did a presentation to all of the sixth, seventh, and eight grade students at a local middle school in 2013. This PowerPoint contains activities and sites. Please feel free to download and adapt for your own use, just giving me credit for being your source.
<a><img src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br /><span>Savvy Shoppers</span> by <span>Margaret D. Keys</span> is licensed under a <a>Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Go beyond searching for obscure facts: Build websites; sell on auction sites; and blog. Your child can learn nearly every subject under the sun by taking part in these activities. Susan K. Stewart has over 30 years of computer experience and used the Internet in her homeschool during most of the teaching years. She manages her own websites and blogs and shares ideas for using the Internet that go beyond Google.
Savvy Shoppers: Web Evalutation for Middle School StudentsMargaret D. Keys
I did a presentation to all of the sixth, seventh, and eight grade students at a local middle school in 2013. This PowerPoint contains activities and sites. Please feel free to download and adapt for your own use, just giving me credit for being your source.
<a><img src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br /><span>Savvy Shoppers</span> by <span>Margaret D. Keys</span> is licensed under a <a>Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Choose the best answer for each question.Part 1Which of the foll.docxneedhamserena
Choose the best answer for each question.
Part 1
Which of the following statements best describes the benefit of gathering background information after you have a specific research topic in mind?
a. Gathering background information will give you all the information you need to research your topic.
b. Gathering background information can help you narrow the focus of your topic.
c. Gathering background information can help you keep track of your research to avoid plagiarizing.
d. Gathering background information can help you fill in the gaps after you have finished your research to see what you may have missed on the topic.
Once you have identified the key concepts of a topic or research question and thought of additional keywords (synonyms or related terms), the next step is to use a combination of key concepts and keywords to develop a __________.
a. Boolean operator
b. search statement
c. subject heading
d. search heading
Which is a vital component of effective search statements that allows you to combine search terms to broaden or narrow your search?
a. related terms
b. keywords
c. Boolean operators
d. truncation
For questions 4–9, match the appropriate search statement to the types of searches listed below. Type your choice from Column A into the corresponding box in Column B.
Column A
Column B
a. network* AND secur*
b. network AND (security OR protection)
c. "network security"
d. network OR security
e. network AND security
f. network NOT security
4. both search terms present
5. either search term present
6. excluding one search term
7. retrieves alternative word endings
8. search terms combined as a phrase
9. alternative keywords in a search
Which is an example of a search statement correctly using the advanced searching technique
nesting
?
a. apple AND "farmer's market"
b. (apple OR pear) AND "farmer's market"
c. terms assigned to describe items in database
d. apple OR pear AND farm
Which advanced searching technique is correctly used in the search statement: toddler AND "Montessori school"
a. nesting
b. truncation
c. phrase searching
d. no advanced searching technique is used in the search statement
Both a scientist generating data based on observations of the life cycle of a butterfly, and a college student writing a critique of an artwork, are examples of:
a. common knowledge
b. information creation
c. peer review
d. secondary sources
The production and use of __________ is typically cyclical.
a. primary sources
b. database records
c. search statements
d. academic research
The most common types of information you will encounter when doing academic research are __________.
a. firsthand accounts and primary sources
b. primary and secondary sources
c. MLA and APA citations
d. library databases and search engines
Which of the following best describes the difference between primary and secondary sources?
a. Primary sources are sources of information or data that are interpreted, evaluated, or analyzed, and secondary sources .
4. EVALUATION CRITERIA
Authorship – Do the authors have authority on
the topic? .com, .org, .gov, .edu?
Currency – Is this site out of date for your
topic?
Accuracy – Works cited? Does the
information fit with what you know?
Purpose – Why was the site created?
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5. WHO IS THE AUTHOR?
Look for an “About Us” link on the page.
Is it a personal page? Check for a tilde (~) in the URL.
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
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8. LET’S PRACTICE
Carefully read the
following question and
then examine the two
websites to see which
would be the better
choice.
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9. 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. Bonhoeffer
www.pbs.org/bonhoeffer
B. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/bonhoeffer
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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10. 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 Aerodynamics
www.bridgeaerodynamicslab.us/index.htm
B. Mark Ketchum’s Bridge Aerodynamics Page
www.ketchum.org/wind.html
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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11. 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. Sojourner Truth – Society for The Study of American
Women Writers
http://www.lehigh.edu/~dek7/SSAWW/writTruthBio.htm
B. Sojourner Truth – African American Historical Figure
http://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue.html
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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12. 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 Achebe
www.kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm
B. The Failure Interview: Chinua Achebe by Jason Zasky
failuremag.com/index.php/feature/article/chinua_achebe
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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13. WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
You are writing an essay about the health aspects of choosing a
vegetarian diet. Which of the following sources would be a
better place to get objective scientific information?
A. Meat vs. Vegetarian Diet
http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/meat -vs-vegetarian-
diet-your-best/
B. Vegetarianism in a Nutshell: Health
www.peta.org/living/vegetarian -living/vegetarianism-in-a-
nutshell-health.aspx
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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14. 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 pover ty
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 Foundation
www.heritage.org/Research/Family/cda0306.cfm
B. The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study
www.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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15. WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
You are writing a research paper exploring the life of
Christopher Columbus. Examine both sites and decide which
site is more credible and authoritative.
A. Explorers A to Z
http://allaboutexplorers.com/explorers/columbus
B. Florida Natural History Museum – Caribbean Archaeology
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/caribarch/columbus.htm
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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16. WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
You are thinking about buying a new cell phone. You would like
to read what some reviews about cell phones. Which web site
would you use?
A. Center for Consumer Freedom
http://www.consumerfreedom.com
B. Consumer Reports
http://www.consumerreports.org
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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17. WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
You are writing a paper about the use and abuse of pesticides.
Which web site would you use?
A . The Ef fects of Pesticides from the Global Healing Center
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/effects -of-
pesticides.html
B. Pesticides in Fish and Shellfish from the Environmental
Defense Fund
http://apps.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=16263
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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18. WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
Compare these two websites and determine their purpose,
exper tise (authority), and credibility.
A . Factcheck.org
http://www.factcheck.org
B.JustFacts.com
http://www.justfacts.com
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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19. WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
Compare these two websites and determine their purpose,
exper tise (authority), and credibility.
A. Chiropractic: An Introduction from the National Center for
Complementar y and Alternative Medicine
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/chiropractic/introduction.htm
B. Chiropractic Quick Facts from the International
Chiropractors Association
http://www.chiropractic.org/?p=chiroinfo/main
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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20. WHICH SITE WOULD YOU USE?
Compare these two websites and determine their purpose,
exper tise (authority), and credibility. Which one would you use?
A. Use of Drugs in Farm Animals: Benefits and Risks
http://books.nap.edu/openbook .php?record_id=5137&page=R1
B. Antibiotic Residues Extremely Rare
http://olsonpr.com/2010/08/25/rare -antibiotic-residues-in-beef/
C. Both choices are equally good.
D. Neither choice appears reliable.
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21. REVIEW OF EVALUATION CRITERIA
Authorship:
Do the authors have authority on the topic?
.com, .org, .gov, .edu?
Currency:
Is this site out of date for your topic?
Accuracy:
Works cited? Does the information fit with
what you know?
Purpose:
Why was the site created?
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22. CREDITS
Thanks to Stephanie Wells, who
created the original PowerPoint
presentation upon which this one is
based.
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