Evaluating Online Sources

CARRDS

Critical Consumer of InformationThink of the saying, “garbage in, garbage out”

In today’s Information age, you need to become a critical, Effective Consumer of Information

YOU must think of yourself as a Critical Information Consumer Before the web, you had help in selecting information: Publishers & Editors,

contributed to ensuring that the information you used was of high quality Now, you must learn to ask yourself Critical Questions about the information you

find The WEB is SELF-PUBLISHING, so you need to be a CAREFUL, EFFECTIVE Information

consumer Anyone can publish anything on the Web! There are NO web STANDARDS to ensure the accuracy or quality of information on

the Internet Information is Seldom NEUTRAL

◦ Most Website CONTENT is a reflection of the interests, past experiences, and biases of the source’s authors, editors and publishers

It is your job, as an Effective Information Consumer, to look for quality Information!

BEFORE you Search

The free Web is often NOT your BEST source of information

BEFORE you venture onto the Free Web, you should ask yourself these important Research Questions

1. Did you check for print sources?

2. Did you search Academic Sources first

(Databases, Online Encyclopedias, etc) before

going to the Free Web?

CARRDSUse the CARRDS system to Evaluate Online

Sources of Information ..

CREDIBILITY / AUTHORITY

ACCURACY

RELIABILITY

RELEVANCE

DATE

SOURCES/Evidence behind the Data

Credibility / Authority

Why would you want to know who authored a web page?

Web pages do not undergo the same rigorous editorial process used to publish books, magazines and newspapers.

◦ In traditional publishing, background checks, peer review and fact checking are done to ensure reliability and accuracy of the information

Web publishing is not controlled or regulated, so the information is not necessarily verified.

◦ It is up to the reader to check a web page author's credentials.

◦ Investigating the author will help you to trust the credibility of the information found on a web page.

Credibility Questions1. Who is the author or editor?

Larger websites will often list an Editor for the entire site, rather than authors for each individual web page article

2. What is the author’s Background? What are their Educational or Professional Credentials What else have they published? Are they a known authority in this field?

3. Does the author’s experience qualify him or her as an expert? Are they qualified to speak on this particular topic? Do they have some kind of first-hand knowledge or credibility on this

topic?

◦ Who published the Website?4. Is this a well known publisher or organization –ex. A university or

Research organization

IF there is NO AUTHOR If there is NO Author listed, there MUST be a credible organization

behind the Website to lend it credibility Otherwise, it is NOT a credible, reliable source of information

Credibility - Expertise What is expertise? How do we know if someone is an

expert? ◦ Expertise is “observable accomplishment or skill in a specific

field”. ◦ An expert is someone we can trust to give us accurate and

reliable facts on a topic, based on their experience, works and body of knowledge.

Ex: Internet Shakespeare Editions◦ Michael Best is listed as the author◦ If we google his name, along with UVIC, we find this information on the

UVIC English Department Web Page: B.A. and PhD in from the University of Adelaide Professor of English at UVIC, since 1967, and Chair of the English Dept. We also see a list of Faculty supported Publications – with the Internet Shakepseare

Editions website listed

◦ From this information, and the fact that UVIC is the host/publisher of the website we can be reasonably certain that this author is an expert in the field of Shakespearean History

Where to find the Author?

Where will you find the author's name? ◦ At the Top or Bottom of the Home Page ◦ On a Separate Page that you must navigate to:

• Acknowledgements• About us• Company Information• Contact Us• Copyright Info• FAQs• More Info• Our Staff• Profiles• Who we Are

Ex: Napoleonic Battles Ex: Internet Shakespeare Editions

Finding the Home Page: Truncate the URL

Usually information concerning authorship and publication is found on the Home Page, or linked directly to it

So, the first step to finding that information is to navigate to the Home Page.

Tip: Truncate the URL to go straight to the HOME PAGE of the Website ◦ Truncate means to REMOVE everything in the URL after the

domain name Example:

◦ Full URL - http://www.arcdetriomphe.info/battles/waterloo/

◦ Truncated URL: http://www.arcdetriomphe.info

Author Credibility ChecksThere are a few, quick searches you can do to help

you determine if a Website is credible:

1. Google the Author/Publisher

◦ Type the name of the Author/Publisher into a search engine

and see what information you can find about them Ex: Nathan D. Jensen napoleonic Society (

Napoleonic Battles)

2. Do a Link Check

◦ Link check: shows you other sites that are linked to the

website in question Ex: Link: www.elizabethan-era.org.uk

3. Do a Web Reputation SearchEx: Alexa.com

ACCURACY

The accuracy of factual information can help you judge the

credibility of the author. ◦ Most web pages are not reviewed or edited by professional editors or

publishers.

◦ Anyone can post just about anything they want on the Internet.

◦ A second grader can even claim to be a nobel prize winner.

Don't rely on first impressions – learn to Ask Questions! ◦ A good way to check factual data is by asking probing questions about the

data you find.

◦ Practice this critical thinking skill until it is second nature.

Be on the lookout for information that just doesn’t “feel right.”

ACCURACY Questions:1. What claims is the author making?

2. What evidence does the author give to support those claims?

3. Is the information consistent with your own prior knowledge,

common sense, and what you have learned from other sources?

4. Can the facts, statistics, or other information be verified through

other sources?

5. Is the information second hand? Has it been altered?

6. Are there spelling or grammar errors on the page?

7. Examples:

◦ Dihydrogen Monoxide

◦ Save the Tree Octopus

◦ California’s Velcro Crop

RELIABILITY

• Bias is when a statement reflects a partiality,

preference, or prejudice for or against a person,

object, or idea• Much of what you read and hear expresses a bias.• Bias is when a writer or speaker uses a selection of facts,

choice of words, and the quality and tone of description, to convey a particular feeling or attitude.

• Its purpose is to convey a certain attitude or point of view toward the subject. As you read or listen to biased materials, keep the following questions in mind:

• Why should we check the bias of information on a web page?• Would you trust information unsupported by facts or logical

reasoning?

• A biased author may not pay attention to all the facts or develop a logical argument to support his or her opinions.

Reliability/Bias Questions

1. What are the intentions of the site? Is it mean to inform, or does it have a different purpose?

Is it trying to sell a product?

Is it trying to persuade you of an opinion or point of view?

2. What is the author’s Point Of view? Can you find other material to offer a balancing view point so that you

can see the bigger picture?

3. Is the Information biased? What facts has the author omitted in order to prove their point of view?

What additional information might be necessary to get a full picture of the issue?

Are strong words and language used to create positive or negative impressions?

Is the author trying to elicit an emotional response from the reader?

4. Example: Greenpeace

EarthSave International

Domain Names - clues to content

• URL: The complete address of a website, which is used

to locate it on the Internet

• Examples: http://en.example.org,

www.sas.sd83.bc.ca/library

• Domain name: The unique “web address name” for a

particular web server computer

• Examples: google.com sas.sd83.bc.ca

• Domain name Parts: www.mydomainname.com

• www - indicates a site on the world wide web

• domainname - The unique name of the website

• .com (or .net, .ca, etc.) - The domain EXTENSION, which can

indicate either the type of site, or its geographical location

Domain Types

You can use the Domain Suffix (the extension part at the end) to help you judge the PURPOSE of a site, to help determine it’s validity and potential bias

Informative Sites: Purpose is to INFORM readers

•.ca Canadian government site•.edu School or university site (Always find out who created it)•.int International institution•.ac Educational Site (usually higher education)•.gov US government site•.museum Museum Site

Organizational Sites: Can be informative, but some bias may exist

•.org Organization, can be have different purposes • Can be Academic in purpose – but be careful of strong biases

BIASED Sites: used to sell, persuade, or entertain – NOT RELIABLE sources of information•.com Commercial site (purpose is to sell)•.net Site hosted by a network service provider •.biz Business site (purpose is to sell)•~ Personal site (purpose is to entertain)

This is a General Guideline, remember that people can easily purchase domain names that don’t reflect their true purpose

What do these URLs reveal about the sites?

http://www.it.ubc.ca/projects.html

◦ Type of site?

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/welcome.php

◦ Type of site?

http://www.greenpeace.org/en/getinvolved

◦ Type of site?

http://www.mystartrekscrapbook.blogspot.com/

◦ Type of site?

RELEVANCE

• Relevance: having significant bearing on the matter at hand• When doing web searches, it is tempting to just use the first site you find. But you need to be

picky and determine if that site is relevant and appropriate to your research task.

Relevancy Questions:

1. Is the information in this source USEFUL to you?

◦ Is it directly relevant to your topic?

◦ Does it answer your Research Questions?

2. Is the information in this source Necessary?

◦ Is this information necessary to establish your Focus/Thesis statement or is it just “fluff”?

3. Does the information answer your Research Questions in a comprehensive way?

◦ Is it a complete picture? Does it provide all of the information?

◦ Are different Points of view provided?

4. Is it a relevant source?

◦ Is the type of source appropriate for your needs – ie. Is it an Academic, Reliable source of information

5. Is it material you can read and understand?

◦ Who is the intended audience?

◦ Is it too simple? Too challenging?

DATE

• Date Questions: 1. Does the source give information that adequately

reflects the time period of the topic being covered? Some topics will require more up to date materials than others

2. When was the information created? The Copyright Date tells you when the information was first

created, and legally protected by the owner

3. When was the site last revised or edited? The Last edited date tells you when the Website, itself, was last

edited or changed. This does not necessarily mean that the information was updated.

A recently edited site is a good sign – it’s evidence of diligence & attention on the part of the author and helps establish their credibility.

• Never use a source that DOESN”T have a Publication or Copyright Date

SOURCES BEHIND THE TEXT

• Just like it is important, and ethical for you to always list your sources when doing a research project, website authors are also required to “credit” their sources of information

• A GOOD, quality informational site should list their own sources of information • Note: Large academic organizations, like online Encyclopaedias, Databases, etc.

Will usually NOT list their sources, because the articles are always subjected to rigorous editing, fact checking, and plagiarism testing before they are printed.

• Sources Questions:1.What kind of research, data, and external sources does the

author use to support their views and conclusions? Do they quote statistics, scientific or government reports, or other factual data?

Or do they rely on personal opinions, personal anecdotes, analogies, or experiences?

2.Does the author document their sources? Are their sources reliable, popular, scholarly, and reputable? Can you Verify their sources? Are there links to their Sources? Do the links work?

Be very suspicious of information that appears “out of nowhere” with no External evidence!

Example:◦ Napoleonic Guide

◦ Industrial Revolution – History World

The BIG RED FlagsOnline sources, which are guilty of any of these infractions,

should NOT be used for ANY Research Purposes

No Authority Listed

◦ NO author, editor, or well known Publisher, Academic Organization is

listed

No Sources, Resources or Links

◦ No external links to other reputable sites are provided

◦ No sources, bibliography or references are provided

◦ No links can be found from other reputable sites to this site

Obvious Inconsistencies in the information

◦ Obvious spelling or grammar errors, errors or inconsistencies in the

information

No Date

◦ NO date of publication, copyright, or site update is provided

Unclear Purpose/Publisher/Sponsor of the site

◦ No obvious way to tell WHO is behind the site, and WHAT it’s PURPOSE is

Demo: Bad Apple Challenge

Keep It or Toss It

Author

Publisher

Date

Bias

Accuracy

Evidence

Links To

Links From

Toss It

Undecided

Keep ItKeep It

Burton Silver is an inventor & writer who invented the sport

Origination Press also published a book by Burton Silver on this topic, which is listed in the National Library of NZ

It appears accurate, but would require expert review to be sure

Toss It

The site hasn’t been updated since 2006

The site’s purpose is to PROMOTE the sport

Keep It

There are pictures of the sport, an ISBN for the book, and testimonials from the Press

Keep It

Links to Golf Cross Sites in other Countries

Keep It

A links search reveals links from Travel and golf sites to this site

Final Score: 71.4% Confidence