Sources

Overview of different types of sources (8 min)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjJBE9OWovI

Columbine school shooting (as mentioned in the above clip)

Where should I go to find info?

Google and other search engines are not sources – they are just an index.

The information is held on other sites.

Where should I go?For an overview

– Encyclopaedias

– Encyclopaedia websites (Wikipedia, Te Ara)

For specific details

– Books

– Newspaper articles

– Specialised websites

– Relevant people/ organisations/ companies

For opinions

– Things written by eyewitnesses

– Newspaper editorials

– Blogs

Wikipedia article changing

This short clip shows in fast-motion how a Wikipedia page (for the Virginia Tech shooting) changes as a range of people edit it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrCQ9dUsfqU

Can all the people editing this page be relied upon to know what they are talking about? Or to be honest??– It’s not a matter of “trust no-one” but it IS a

matter of taking care to find out whether sources and their creators are reliable.

Overview of Evaluating Websites

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrXNCj9n6e4&feature=related 4.25

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYV3ZmThuls&feature=related 3.21

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta1RMXVOig0&feature=related 4.17

Check the purpose

Why was the website/book/article written?– To inform people in an unbiased way?– To persuade you to think a certain way?

Opinionated sources are not necessarily bad, as long as the evidence is true.

Check the Author

See if there is an author listed

Are they qualified?– Do a search to find out about them

If there is no author listed then check out:– The organisation that put out the info – do they

have a good reputation?– Whether the info has been checked before it

was publishedThis is the advantage most books have over the internet

Check the Evidence and References

Does the author give facts to back up what they say?

Can you see where the author found their info?– Footnotes– Bibliography

When was the information last updated?

Is the information backed up by your other sources?

In Wikipedia, click on this

And these

If you’re still unsure, check the discussions too

These references will often give you the source of information that the author used. They can be checked for reliability, too!

This means you can’t tell where the author of the article found their info. Be careful!!

2 sides to every story

It was a terrible game!

It was a great game!

Sources may have different opinions about events but the basic facts should be the same

Some sources may use different facts to support their arguments – that's why you need to use more than one source

If a source is unreliable, find another!