Online Resources

5Ws Rule Anyone (professionals, students, idiots, terrorists, etc.) can post something online for the world to read, which makes it hard when you are trying to find good credible information. Using the 5Ws rule will help you determine what's good and what's not!

So what is 5Ws Rule you ask! I bet you don’t even realize it but you probably already know part of it. Think back to elementary English class…does Who? What? Where? When? Why “Who? What? Where? When? Why?” ring any bells?

5W Rule Explained 1. Who wrote the page, are they an expert or just some random person? 2. What is the purpose of the website? 3. Where does the information come from? 4. When was the site created or updated? 5. Why is this information valuable?

Who Keep in mind that you can be anyone or say anything on the Internet so it is important to determine authorship or ownership whether that be a person or company. Also because the internet is everywhere and nowhere it is important to make sure that you can get a hold of or find the person/company. Who do you trust more, a friend, a friend of a friend, or a perfect stranger? Referral a Referral is like getting information from your friend, Link Search a Link would be like getting information from a friend of a friend, a Search is like asking a complete stranger.

Who is the Author/Publisher Authorship and Authority Who is the author? If no author is listed who owns/sponsors the website? Can I contact the author through an , phone number, or mailing address? What are the author’s credentials? Is he or she an expert in the subject I am researching? Is the site created or sponsored by a reputable organization? Can I confirm that the organization is a credible, authoritative source? Go to the domaintools.com website then copy the website’s URL. It will give you information about the site.

What Information and Resources Does the Site Provide? What is the site’s purpose: inform, persuade, or entertain? Does it achieve its purpose? Is the information objective or biased? The site should present several authoritative viewpoints on the subject and not just opinions. Does the site provide thorough coverage of the topic? Does it reference or link to other in- depth resources? Is the information well written? Are there misspellings or grammatical errors? Does the site provide a Works Cited page or a bibliography? Can the information be verified on other sources? Does the site feature graphics, video and audio clips, or animations? Do these multimedia elements help explain or clarify the site's topic?

What Information and Resources Does the Site Provide? (continued) Is the site well organized and easy to navigate? Can I find the information I am looking for within a few clicks? Is the site visually appealing? Does the design suit the overall purpose? Does the site have any advertisements or banners that might distract me from my purpose for visiting? Does the site take a long time to load?

When Was the Site Created/Last Updated? For time-sensitive topics locate the most current site Does the site indicate when it was first created and last updated? Do the links work, or do they lead to error messages. Sites not regularly updated tend to have more “broken links.” Use the WayBackMachine website to track websites’ updates. complete the When Assignment

Where Does the Site Live? Look at the URL specifically at the three-letter suffix known as the extension. The extension can provide clues about the source of the site. Watch Out! A site with the.gov extension signals a government agency and therefore probably reliable. However, it can be hard to determine whether sites with the.edu,.org, or.com are quality ones. Are they truly associated with an legitimate institution? Use domaintools.com to collect information about a website..gov = government.edu = education.org = organization.com = commercial.mil = militaryNet – network tasks

Why Should I Use This Site Do the resources on this site meet all my needs? Is the information verifiable, in-depth, and up-to-date Why is this Web site a better research source than some of the other sites I’ve already visited

Complete your activities.

Works Cited Classroom Zone: McDougal Littell Web Research Guide Unit 1