A Pocket Guide to Public Speaking Pages 73-83

Google and Yahoo may lead to false or biased information

Virtual Libraries Selected Virtual Libraries WWW virtual library: vlib.org WWW virtual library Librarians’ Index to the internet: lii.org/search Internet Public Library (IPL): Academic Info: Digital Librarian: The Library of Congress: Infomine: Infomine.ucr.edu

Questions to ask yourself each time you examine a document When was the information posted, and is it timely? Where is similar information found? Who put this information here? Why did they do so? Will these sources be accepted by my audience as credible?

Distinguish among information, propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation Information: is data that are understandable and have the potential to become knowledge when viewed critically Propaganda: is information represented in such a way as to provoke a desired response. Misinformation: always refers to something that is not true. One common form of misinformation on the internet is the “urban legend” Disinformation: is the deliberate falsification of information. Doctored photos and falsified profit and loss statements.

Distinguish among types of search engines Individual search engines (Google, yahoo and MSN search) compile their own databases Meta-search engines (such as Ixquick, MetaCrawler and Dogpile) scan a variety of individual search engines simultaneously (most librarians discourage this method) Specialized search engines: let you conduct narrower but deeper searches into a particular field. (Scirus Science Search; Bioethics.gov, and google scholar)

Check the most authoritative web sites first Seek out the sites on your topic. If your speech explores the NBA draft, investigate the NBA’s official Web site first. Check Government-sponsored sites Find a specialized search engine on your topic: Type in the topic term with the keywords “search engine” i.e. “global warming” “search engine”

Evaluate Authorship and sponsorship Check the domain:.edu,.gov.mil.org.com and.net Make sure to assess the credibility of each site Look for an “About” link that describes the organization or a link to a page that gives more information Identify the creator of the information: does the person operate the site, does the document provide relevant biographical information, such as links to resume or a listing of the author's credentials?

Check for currency Check for a date that indicates when the page was placed on the web and when it was last updated. Is the date current? Check that the web site documents its sources and when that information was recorded.

Consult Subject Library A subject (web) directory is a catalog of wEb sites, organized by a human editor, into subject categories such as “Science,” “Reference,” or “Arts and Humanities.” Three of the most reliable general subject directories include: 1. infomine (infomine.ucr.edu) 2. librarians’Internet index ( 3. Yahoo! Director (Dir.yahoo.com).

Choosing between a subject Directory and a Search Engine 1. If you are looking for a list of reputable sites on the same subject, use a subject directory. 2. If you are looking for a specific page within a site, use a search engine 3. If you need to find specific terms, facts, figures, or quotations that may be buried within documents, use a search engine.

Beware of Commercial Factors When researching your topic outside of a library portal or a virtual library, you will want to be alert to a unwanted commercial influences. Paid Placement: when engines/directories accept fees from companies in exchange for a guaranteed higher ranking with results (sponsored links or sponsored results) Paid inclusion: the accept fees to include companies in the full index of possible results, without a guarantee of ranking (check consumerwebwatch.org for helpful hints)

From Source to Speech recording and citing web sources p Author of the work 2. Title of the work 3. Title of the web site 4. Date of publication/ last update 5. Site address (URL) and date accessed

Record Notes Create a separate heading for each idea and record the citation elements from your sources. Indicate whether the material is a direct quote, a paraphrase, or a summary of the information Notes for a quotation:

Record Internet Sources Keep track of your speech sources as you go Use the MLA format so that you do not have to go back after you are done and try to figure out how to put it all together Try to find at least one or two sources beyond the requirement