Mini Research Project Evaluating Sources

Types of Sources Primary Sources : Original Documents such as essays, autobiographies, letters, interviews, speeches, diaries, letters, film footage, art, surveys, tables/statistics Secondary Sources: A secondary source interprets and analyzes a primary source. Such as publications, textbooks, magazine articles, histories, criticism, encyclopedias.

Practice: Which is it primary or secondary? History textbook Diary of Anne Frank Providence Journal article Documentary on WWII Film Footage from WWII History Channel Interview with Elie Wiesel A speech by Adam Flynn Wikipedia

Beyond Googling: What is wrong with Wiki? Why can't I use Wikipedia as a source? Teachers are suspicious of Wikipedia because anyone can write or modify most Wikipedia articles. This means the information on Wikipedia is not always accurate.

Can I trust ANY of the information on Wikipedia? You can still expect to find useful information on Wikipedia. New articles and article changes are monitored by Wikipedia editors and administrators. Inaccurate information can be removed just as quickly as it was added, which is encouraging. Sometimes, articles are vandalized so frequently that they become protected and are no longer editable by the general public.

Pay Attention and Make Wiki Work for You! Pay attention to warnings that appear within articles (“This article does not cite any references or sources,” “This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards,” “The neutrality of this article is disputed,” etc ). These can help you determine how reliable an article might be.

Make Wiki Work (continued) Check the works cited page (located at the bottom of the article) Chances are you can find valid sources

What is a Valid Source? Is it CRAP? Currency How recent is the information? How recently has the website been updated? Is it current enough for your topic? Reliability What kind of information is included in the resource? Is content of the resource primarily opinion? Is it balanced? Does the creator provide references or sources for data or quotations? Authority Who is the creator or author? What are the credentials? Who is the published or sponsor? Are they reputable? What is the publisher’s interest (if any) in this information? Are there advertisements on the website? Purpose/Point of View Is this fact or opinion? the creator/author trying to sell you something? Is it biased?

Credibility Check List The writer is an expert in their field or they interviewed experts. An expert is anyone who is experienced in a certain field. For example: If the news story was “What high school students like to eat,” the expert could be a high school student. The information on this website is cited. If your source is including statistics, quotes, and statements, they need to be backed up with a citation. A citation shows the reader that the writer did their research and that their information relay can be trusted. This is a respected website. It becomes easier to identify a trustworthy website when you have more esperience with exploring. Ask yourself if you have ever heard of this website before? Do they have a paper publication as well (local newspaper, Time magazine, etc.)?Are there are no or few grammar and spelling errors? Does the information sound correct? /are they trying to sell you something? http://moodle.monashores.net/mod/resource/view.php?id=68923

Credibility Cont * Understand the domain name an author is using and take that into account. • com – commercial business / could be selling something/ use caution • edu – educational institute / double check/ usually credible • org – organizations (non-profit) / double check the organization/ use caution • net – Network organization / double check / use caution • gov – government agency / 99% reliable * This is news, not opinion. • “I think…” is a big giveaway that what you're reading is opinion and not news. Also, any piece of written work that is making claims without proper citation should be questioned. There are respected opinion articles out there, like on the New York Times and the Huffington Post, written by experts in their field. I trust this information and the writer. • Would you be willing to bet $100 that the writer is credible?

Works Cited Harris, Robert. “Evaluating Internet Sources.” Virtual Salt. June 15, 2007. January 12, 2010. http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm. Web. Lunsford, Andrea A. The Everyday Writer: Fourth Edition. Boston:Bedford- St. Martin’s Press, 2009. 170-171. Print