Instructions



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      ====== At the beginning of this project, you will be introduced to the various types of online search tools that you will use in your research throughout the year. After learning the differences between searching the library catalog, online databases, and the Internet, you will learn advanced search strategies for locating websites on the Internet. Evaluating websites for quality and reliability is the next important step in using information in your research. You will learn to determine whether or not a website is usable for your purposes.  Evaluate the following websites using the techniques described below. Fill out an **Evaluation Worksheet** on EACH website.  >> //**Ex: link: www.website.com**//  
 * Assignment**
 * Evaluation techniques:**
 * Read the web address - Check for Authority and Objectivity
 * Determine the domain name and extension
 * Is it a personal website? Look for a name in the URL and/or a tilde (~), %, the words //users, people, members// within the URL.
 * Find the publisher - Check for Authority and Objectivity
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Backtrack the URL to the first forward slash to determine the host organization of the website if it is not clearly listed on the webpage.
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Enter the domain name in **[|www.easywhois.com]**
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Check the external links - Check for Authority, Objectivity, and Accuracy
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Go to **[|Google]**. In the search box, type the link command and the website address
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Who is linked to this site?
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why are they linked to this site?
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What do they say about the information on the site?
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Look for the author - Check for Authority
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If the author is not clearly stated on the homepage, check the copyright information at the bottom of the site.
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Check the links that might be labeled //About// or //Contact Info//.
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Is the author (or organization) qualified as an expert in the field of study?
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Look for dates of publication - Check for Currency
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Look at the bottom of the page for //Copyright, Last revised//, or //Last updated//.
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If information is historical in nature, current dates may not be important to the accuracy of the information.
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Consider possibilities of bias - Check for Objectivity
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Finding the author, publisher, and host organization of a website will clue you in to possible bias.
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Reading the information is the biggest clue to bias. Is the information controversial in nature? Is there more than one side to the issue - multiple opinions possible? If so, the information may be biased.
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If you find biased information, you do not necessarily have to dismiss it. Find the other side of the argument. The key to dealing with biased information is learning all the information and making your own decisions!
 * Websites to Evaluate**
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|All About Explorers]
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus]
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|Dihydrogen Monoxide]
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|Ancient Scripts.com]
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|Dog Island]
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|Harry Potter]
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|Victorian Robots]
 * Websites that Illustrate Bias and Objectivity**
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|The National Right to Life Committee] (bias - pro-life)
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights > Action League)] (bias - pro-choice)
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|Consumer Reports Online] (unbiased - opinions based on testing rather than advertising revenue)
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|BeefNutrition.org] (bias - funded by organizations involved in selling beef)
 * <span style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[|International Vegetarian Union] (bias - although non-profit, mission is to promote vegetarianism)