Researching Physics Web-based Research

Learning objectives Evaluate websites for reliability, level and bias. Reference websites to allow another person to find the same information.

Why carry out literature-based scientific research? To find out what is known and what remains to be discovered about a topic. To stay up to date with research in a particular field. To find information to help develop new ideas and design new experiments.

Finding out what is known about a topic Scientists use a number of communication methods: conference presentations published articles other communications websites blogs manuals videos, etc. Which of these do you think is/are most reliable?

Finding out what is known about a topic Scientists use a number of communication methods: conference presentations published articles other communications websites blogs manuals videos, etc.

Published articles Scientific articles are often published in: science magazines (e.g. New Scientist, Focus) scientific journals (e.g. Science, Nature) Scientific journal articles are ‘peer reviewed’. Peer-reviewed journals are reliable but expensive. Scientific magazines are more widely available. The most likely source of scientific information in school will be the internet. Peer review is a critical part of scientific research: The scientist writes a paper and sends it to a journal The journal editor sends the paper to other scientists for anonymous review of quality and originality The editor uses the reviewers comments and recommendations to accept and publish the paper, reject the paper, or require revisions before publication

Internet research The internet is a convenient source of information, but it can be difficult to establish reliability. The world wide web is the fastest growing area of the internet. It is a collection of documents on thousands of computers worldwide. The web is not controlled. Anyone can publish almost anything on it: you must decide if the information you retrieve is reliable and valid.

Evaluating website information When using information from a website, you should consider the following key questions: Who does the site belong to? Why was it written? When was it written and most recently updated?

Who does the site belong to? The domain gives the type of organisation and the country of origin of the website: .gov - government body .ac - UK educational institution .edu - US education institution .org - non-profit organisation .co or .com - UK or US commercial site .uk - United Kingdom .us - United States .au - Australia URL – Uniform Resource Locator Domain – end of web site address .au - Australia

Why was the site written? To inform or explain – purely factual sites, eg government or university. To sell – commercial sites which sell a product (may be disguised). To persuade or indoctrinate – sites designed to convert you to a particular point of view, e.g. some charities and religious organisations.

Referencing In Higher Physics, you must clearly state the source of your information. Make sure you write down the correct web address when referencing a website or highlight the address and use copy/paste. by typing it into the browser. Check the address yourself

Author Can you find out the name of the author? Is there information about the author? Is it clear that an institution or university or organisation sponsored the website (check the domain)?

Currency (date) Is the date the website was put on the internet present? Is an update or revision date present?

Level Is the website intended for a general or a scientific audience? In what way is the topic explored at a suitable level for Higher Physics? Are there any aspects or vocabulary beyond the level expected for Higher Physics?

Purpose Is the purpose of the site stated (to persuade, inform, explain, sell)?

Bias Is the information given and/or the views expressed biased?

Accuracy Are the sources of the information listed in a bibliography or referenced to linked websites?