2.6 - Evaluating Sources

Learning Targets 1.Evaluate research sources for authority, accuracy, credibility, timeliness and purpose/audience. 2.Distinguish between primary & secondary sources. 3.Evaluate an internet website’s content and identity and determine appropriate internet sources for research.

Academic Vocabulary Credibility comes from the word credible, which means “believable or trustworthy”

“ Build credibility so you won’t have to say the same thing twice before someone believes you.”

1. Research Sources After choosing a topic and writing research questions, the next step is to find sources of information. Sources might be books, magazines, documentary films, or online information. Not all sources are equal, however. Some are better than others. Learning how to tell the difference is a skill you need both for your academic success and your life

Criteria for Evaluating Sources  1. Currency  2. Relevance  3. Authority  4. Accuracy  5. Purpose Predict the definition of each of these criteria in your notebooks.

C.R.A.A.P. Complete the handout in order to evaluate the credibility of sources.handout Is it credible, or is it...

Online Text - “ Not Marketing to Children” Read the excerpt from the Mars website. Mark the text to highlight words or phrases that connect to the topic of marketing to kids. Mars Co.

Let’s Analyze Further Role Format Audience Make inferences and conclusions based on details in the text - cite evidence to support your inference Topic How would you rate this website and text according to our C.R.A.A.P Test?

Academic Vocabulary Primary Source is an original account or record created at the time of the event by someone who was there or involved in it. Examples - Autobiographies, letter, government records, etc.

Academic Vocabulary Secondary Sources analyze, interpret or critique primary sources. Written after the fact, usually. Examples - textbooks, historical books, works of criticism, etc.

Try it! Consider the texts that we have read in this unit - are they Primary or Secondary sources?

Evaluating Online Resources

Anyone can publish on the web. This openness is both a STRENGTH & a WEAKNESS of the web. In order to effectively research you must be AWARE of the differences in quality that exist among websites A good place to start your Online C.R.A.A.P test is to check the site’s domain category.

Domain SuffixDefinition.com.org.net.edu.gov Stands for commercial - want to make a profit from their service -these websites typically sell things Stands for organization - used by non- profit groups like charities or professional organizations Stands for network - used by internet service providers/web hosting co. Stands for education - used by schools, edu. Org., etc Stands for government - used by U.S., state and local gov sites Which of these domain suffixes would lead you to expect that the information was geared to selling something rather than giving information?

“Surf the Web” Complete the handout by evaluating two websites. You are looking for reliable information without BIAS. Bias comes from the french word for “biais” which means slant or slope. We use it as a noun referring to one’s preference for something, especially if it prevents fair judgement.

Search engines are like Indexes The search engine finds websites that have your search term A search term may yield 1,000s of results; search wisely! Searching for Sources

Academic Vocabulary Search Term is a single word or phrase used in a database search.

If you are doing a report on The Battle of Antietam, which took place during the U.S. Civil War you want to search wisely. Check this out!!! The U.S. Civil War 59,500,000 Search Terms Matter!! The Battle of Antietam 409,000

Search Terms: Can ya dig?? How might you choose good sites from your search? To research the effect of marketing and advertising to young people, what search terms might you use? Try it!  Use your search terms to find information about the topic.  Record the info. In your notebook

Language and Writer’s Craft Expository writing is for an academic audience. Therefore, you should use precise language and formal style.

Precise Language Your choice of words should include academic vocabulary and literary terms that apply to the topic. Revising for Precise Language and Formal Style Formal Language Avoids slang, doesn’t use contractions - casual, everyday language IS NOT formal and should be avoided when writing for school.

Yay for Practice! Navigate to kahoot.it on your device. Play the “Precisely Formal” game

1. I got 2 b free 2 b me! Revise these using precise and formal language 2. I’m a teen, and like, most of us look at famous people as cool and in the know.

Did you get it? Using the information from one of your searches, write a paragraph summarizing the information you found about marketing to youth. Be sure to: *Introduce your topic clearly *use details and examples that relate to the topic *use formal language and transitions that create coherence