Online Learning Part 2

Online Learning

Part 2

More Tips

Finally, look beyond the article for more clues.

·       Read the website’s home page and the About Us page. Look for a mission statement to learn more about the site, its purpose and the organization sponsoring it.

·       If there is an author listed, look for a biography that discusses the author’s education, profession and other relevant background. If there is no bio on the site, search for one elsewhere on the Web.

·       Check the date. Facts can change over time, so see if the site shows when it was last updated.

·       Presentation counts; look at everything from design to spelling. A clean, well-organized site shows a certain degree of professionalism.

·       Avoid sites that are pornographic, vulgar, inappropriate, below par, suggestive, and falsifying.

  

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!

Online Learning Part 1

Online Learning

Part 1

Read Between the Lines

Make a judgment about the site’s reliability based on your own analysis of the site and the information it contains. Here are some ways to do this:

·       Look for facts you know or can check with a trusted source. If the site gets those facts right, it’s more likely that the other facts on the site are also accurate.

·       Study the language used. Is it angry, satiric or overly impassioned? This may indicate that the site is biased.

·       Consider whether the arguments are logical and backed up by evidence, and whether the site presents only one point of view.

·       Check the links to the sources that the author acknowledges. Scholarly writing, whether in print or online, should include a bibliography.

 

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It’s Online, but Is It on Target? Part 3

It’s Online, but Is It on Target?

Part 3

Dot-What?

Look at the site’s address. What follows the dot?

·       Dot-com is not the only for businesses; anyone can use it. Dot-coms include well-known and respected companies, but also private individuals.

·       Dot-org usually indicates a not-for-profit organization. Many dot-orgs present unbiased information, but others have political agendas, focus on debatable issues instead of facts, and might not present all sides of an argument.

·       Dot-gov indicates a government website at the federal, state or local level. The federal government is a good source of statistics, and its sites are widely considered among the most reliable.

·       Dot-mil is used by sites that are a part of the military.

·       Dot-edu usually indicates a university website. While its published research is generally considered very trustworthy, anyone associated with the university whether a world renowned scholar or a freshman, can be given space on its server. Professors sometimes put student course work up on the Web, but that doesn’t mean they’re vouching for the information’s accuracy.

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It’s Online, but Is It on Target? Part 2

It’s Online, but Is It on Target?

Part 2

Research with Attitude

Conduct you research with attitude of a skeptic. As you examine websites for clues that they’re trustworthy, ask these questions:

·                   Who wrote the Web page? If you can’t identify the individual or organization responsible for the information, don’t use it.

·                   What are the author’s qualifications for writing on the subject?

·                   Has the article passed through an editorial process designed to ensure quality and accuracy?

·                   What is the website’s purpose? Look for motives—like selling products or winning votes—that could result in biased or incomplete information.

·                   Is the information accurate? Is it up to date?

·                   Where did the author get this information?

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!