1. How to Find Good Resources

2. Just remember CARS  Credibility  Accuracy  Reasonableness  Support

3. Credibility  What about this source makes it believable (or not)?  How does this source know this information?  Why should I believe this source over another?  The key to credibility is the question of trust.

4. Ways to know something is NOT credible…  Anonymity  Does it say who wrote it?  Lack of Quality Control  Does it say if someone reviewed the information?  Bad grammar or misspelled words  Most of the time, scholarly people will check their work to make sure it is grammatically correct.

5. How do I know it’s accurate?  The goal of the accuracy test is to assure that the information is:  Correct  Does the information apply to what you are researching?  Up to Date  Was it published within the last ten years?  Factual  Is the information based in fact or opinion?  Detailed  Does the author go into great detail on the topic, or is the article vague?

6. How do I know it’s reasonable?  The test of reasonableness involves examining the information for:  Fairness  Does the author fairly represent the information? Test for facts vs. opinions!  Objectivity  Does the author view the data from an unbiased perspective?  Consistency  Is the information consistent or does it contradict itself?

7. How do I know it’s unreasonable?  Writers who put themselves in the way of the argument, either emotionally or because of self interest, often reveal their lack of reasonableness.  If, for example, you find a writer inserting his or her own opinions about the topic, you know the information may be biased and therefore unreasonable.

8. What is support?  The area of support is concerned with the source of the information.  Much information, especially statistics and facts, come from other sources.  Citing sources strengthens the credibility of the information.  Always look to see where the writer got his or her information!

9. Questions to consider…  Where did this information come from?  What sources did the creator use?  Are the sources listed?  Is there a bibliography or other documentation?  Does the author provide contact information in case you wish to discuss an issue or request further clarification?  How does the writer know about this topic?

10. Recap of CARS  Credibility  Accuracy  Reasonableness  Support  DON’T FORGET TO CITE YOUR OWN SOURCES!!!!  Example: Time for Kids. Solar Storm Hits Earth. By: Stephanie Kraus. January 30, 2012. Example

11. How to Search for Sources  When searching on Google or other search engines, always use short and simple words or phrases.  Don’t use questions in your search.  Pick out key words or phrases to use instead.  If your search does not yield usable results, try another combination of keywords.

12. Let’s try a few together!  How would we search about the BP oil spill in the Gulf?  What if we wanted to search specifically about how the ecosystem was effected?  How about the government involvement in sanctions against BP?