PRESENTATION OUTLINE
When you do research, you need to ask yourself, is this GOOD information? Its it CREDIBLE?
This test works for any material: books, articles, websites, etc.
How recent is the information?
For websites: when was it last updated?
For print: what is the copyright date?
You are researching technology during the Civil War. Which one is NOT current?
A) 2014: A video and article about Civil War technology
B) 2006: An article about the ongoing process to recover sunken boats
C) 2005: An article about Civil War innovations
D) 1861: A photograph of siege artillery taken during the Siege of Yorktown
Is the information error-free?
Do you see the same info in other sources?
You are researching the nervous system, which one is NOT reliable?
A. An article about the nervous system on innerbody.com prepared by an anatomy instructor. The information is replicated in your textbook.
B. An article about the nervous system on a medical blog. The information is not present in your other sources.
C. An article about the nervous system from Encyclopedia Britannica. Many other sources reference this article.
Who is the creator? Are they qualified to write on the topic? Are they are an expert?
Who is the publisher or sponsor? What is the domain (.com, .org, . gov, etc.)?
You are researching extraterrestrial life. Which one is NOT authoritative?
A) "Alien Life Could Thrive on Supercritical CO2 Instead of Water" - No author; About Us link goes to advertising network
B) "The Allen Telescope Array" - No author; "Our Scientists" link goes to a listing of professional researchers and scientists
Is the information supported by evidence?
Does the author provide references or sources of data?
You are researching ecology. Which one might not be accurate?
A. A book about rivers available from the library.
B. An article about erosion from the library database with no citations or references.
C. An article about the tundra biome from a website. A full citation list is provided.
Is the author trying to inform? persuade? sell?
You are researching immigration reform. Which one is BIASED?
A) The immigration page from whitehouse.gov explaining current policy.
B) An article on ABC News about the Republican party's change in position over time.
C) An article from CNBC that argues for immigration reform for economic reasons.
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