How often do you get information from the Internet How often do you get information from the Internet? How much of it do you believe? How reliable do you think Internet information is? How does it compare to information from books?

The Internet can be a rich and valuable source of information – and an even richer source of misinformation. Sorting out the valuable claims from the worthless ones is tricky, since at first glance a Web site written by an expert can look a lot like one written by your next-door neighbor.

To spot a site useful for your research, look for seven key elements. Credibility Accuracy Reliability Relevance Date Sources Efficacy

Credibility Who is the author or sponsor of the ite? Why should we believe them?

On the Internet, authorship can be more difficult to determine On the Internet, authorship can be more difficult to determine. Some sites have only one author. Others have many authors, who may or may not use their real names. Some sites have no obvious author – their content may be written by a number of people who do not get authorship credit. It’s generally best not to trust any information you find on the Internet until you can at least determine who wrote it. Many web sites have an “about” section. If this doesn’t answer your question, check for contact information.

On many websites instead of an author, you may find an editor or a sponsoring organization that is responsible for controlling the quality of the content of a site. For instance, the distinguished Mayo Hospital is the sponsoring organization for the information pages at Mayoclinic.org. Even though there are no authors listed, we assume the information is accurate because Mayo Clinic is a respected hospital.

Be aware that some organizations are trying to persuade you Be aware that some organizations are trying to persuade you. Their information may be biased! (Double check information from biased organizations for accuracy, reliability, and sources.)

Once we have an author, how do we know if they are credible? What is the author’s education level? Does he or she have a degree? From what school? In what subject? What is the author’s previous writing experience? How much does the author probably know about the topic or topics on which he or she is writing? Does he or she deal intimately with this subject in daily life, or only research it for the purpose of writing about it? Does the author have a neutral perspective on the site’s subject matter, or is he or she trying to promote a particular viewpoint?

Let’s practice together Let’s look up a few sources together and decide how credible they are. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ http://www.usability.gov/ http://www.chicagobooth.edu/capideas/spring03/racialbias.html

Credibility of the author/sponsor is not your only consideration when determining if a website is valuable….

Accuracy Can facts statistics or other information be verified through other resources?

Inaccurate statements Reliability Does the source present a particular view or bias? Does the author use logical fallacies? Bias Inaccurate statements Hasty generalization Begging the question Ad hominem Either or

Relevance Does information help me answer my question? Is it too old? Is it on topic? If the information on the site is not helpful for your topic, “Let it Go” and move on.

How old is too old? Discuss with a neighbor: How old can an article be while still being relevant for the following topics? Eating Disorders in Teenagers Middle Eastern Politics Violence in Videogames

Date When was the cite created? When was it revised? Ideally the publishing date will be listed at the top of the article, at the bottom of the page, or in the article summary (for journal articles from databases). While a site that lacks a publication date is not NECESSARILY inaccurate, a posting date for the article shows that the author or editor of the site is organized and deliberate about its information.

Sources Does the author use many reliable, credible sources and links?

Efficacy Is the information worth the effort? Is the site well organized and free of distracting graphics or advertisements?

Now it’s your turn. Use the “Rubric for evaluating websites” to evaluate the credibility of one source. Grade your website on each of the seven key elements of a credible website. Remember to explain if the website is valid overall in the box at the bottom of the rubric.

Should texting and driving be illegal Should texting and driving be illegal? Choose a website and analyze the usefulness of the site using the “Source Evaluation Rubric.” http://www.textinganddrivingsafety.com/texting-and-driving-stats/ http://investorplace.com/2014/06/texting-driving-statistics-2014/#.VO4aSnwViSp http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/distracted_driving/

Henig, Jessica. “The Credibility Challenge. ” FactCheckEd. org Henig, Jessica. “The Credibility Challenge.” FactCheckEd.org. Annenberg Media. Web. 22 February 2015. <http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/page/the-credibility-challenge>. http://adrianimpalamata.deviantart.com/art/Let-It-Go-430025644 http://www.mequoda.com/articles/subscription_websites/is-burying-your-frequency-a-big-design-mistake/