SETTING THE STAGE FOR RESEARCH Karen L. Porter LS June, 2010

Evaluating Web Pages Anyone can publish material on the Internet. Anyone can publish material on the Internet. As you research, you must choose your sites carefully by deciding what is valid and what is not valid. As you research, you must choose your sites carefully by deciding what is valid and what is not valid.

Read and think critically as you research your topic. You need to double-check all information. Read and think critically as you research your topic. You need to double-check all information.

Guidelines For Choosing a Web Page Check that the author of the site is an expert in the subject you are researching. Look for credentials, education, or experience that would verify a person’s expertise in your research topic. Insider Tip: On many sites, there will be a link to the site’s author.

Sometimes this will be plainly stated or seen on a page. Sometimes the information can be found at links such as “About,” “Information,” “FAQs.” Kathy Schrock is the Director of Technology for the Nauset Public Schools on Cape Cod, MA. A large part of her job deals with infusing technology throughout the curriculum in all areas and at all grade levels. Previously a library media specialist, she is very interested in search strategies, evaluation of Internet information, copyright issues, emerging technologies and gadgets, and the use of technology as a tool to support instruction. Kathy is also an Adobe Education Leader, a Google Certified Teacher, and a Discovery STAR Educator. Kathy Schrock is the Director of Technology for the Nauset Public Schools on Cape Cod, MA. A large part of her job deals with infusing technology throughout the curriculum in all areas and at all grade levels. Previously a library media specialist, she is very interested in search strategies, evaluation of Internet information, copyright issues, emerging technologies and gadgets, and the use of technology as a tool to support instruction. Kathy is also an Adobe Education Leader, a Google Certified Teacher, and a Discovery STAR Educator.

Shorten the site’s URL Delete characters in the URL backwards, stopping at each backslash. Eventually, you will reach the home page of the site your information stems from originally. The homepage may offer valuable information about the creator of the Web page

Check the outgoing and incoming links Outgoing links may show other reliable sites. You should check the links and evaluate the quality of those sites as well. Back to School & End of School Resources Back to School Checklists...this site links to sites to help you get off to a good start Back to School Lesson Plans...teacher-submitted ideas for that back-to- school time Back to School ChecklistsBack to School Lesson Plans

Incoming links Use a search engine to find that link to this page. Do they seem reliable? Can you validate the expertise of the authors? What do you find when you shorten the addresses of those sites?

ALTA VISTA To check a site’s incoming links, use the search engine AltaVistaAltaVista. In the search box AltaVista type “link,” and the address you want to check, with no spaces between. The results will show every site that links to the site in question.

Insider Tip One way to check information that you find as you research is to confirm the information in three separate reliable sources.

Librarians’ Internet Index The Librarians’ Internet Index is a tool for finding quality Web sites. Enter a keyword in the search box, and the Librarians' Internet Index will list sites that have been checked for quality and accuracy. New sites are added each week, so the content is current. Librarians' Internet Index Librarians' Internet Index

WAYBACKMACHINE Web pages can be changed and updated frequently—every day or even several times a day if the page’s author chooses. The old version is not gone forever.

Type a site’s URL into WayBackMachine’s search box, and it will return a listing of every date on which that site had been updated. When you click a date, the WayBackMachine shows you the version of the website as it appeared on that day.

The WayBackMachine is a tool that allows a user to go back and see older versions of websites. This tool is an archive of the Internet. WayBackMachine WayBackMachine

How can the WayBackMachine be helpful? If you return to an online source and see that information you found earlier has been replaced with new information, this tool can help you find the older site. WayBackMachine can help you find information from a certain day or time period.

Discuss with your neighbor: Why should you verify information you find on the Internet? Why should you verify information you find on the Internet? What will you do differently regarding research after this lesson? What will you do differently regarding research after this lesson? How would you indicate your Website was reliable if you were creating one? How would you indicate your Website was reliable if you were creating one?

Sources: ockguide/edres.html ockguide/edres.html ockguide/edres.html ockguide/edres.html (WayBackMachine) (WayBackMachine) (Librarians’ Internet Index) (Librarians’ Internet Index) Microsoft Word Clip Art Microsoft Word Clip Art