ONLINE RESOURCES

5W+H RULE Anyone (professionals, students, idiots, terrorists, etc.) can post something online for the world to read, which makes it hard when you are trying to find good credible information. Using the 5W+H rule will help you determine what's good and what's not!

So what is 5W+H rule ? Think back to elementary English class…does “Who? What? Where? When? Why?” ring any bells? The H part is HOW!

5W+H RULE EXPLAINED 1.Who wrote the page; are they an expert or just some random person? 2.What is the purpose of the website? 3.Where does the information come from? 4.When was the site created or updated? 5.Why is this information valuable? + 6.How can you tell what’s what?

WHO The WHO part of the question is determined by evaluating authorship or authority. When you look at a website critically, you should try and decide if the author is credible. Often times it can be difficult, but you should ALWAYS try to determine authorship or authority.

AUTHORSHIP AND AUTHORITY Who is the author? If no author is listed, who owns/sponsors the website? Has someone taken responsibility for the content of this Web site? Is the author/organization/sponsor respected in the field? Is there any in-depth information about the author or organization (Resume, biography, About me/us)? Does the website have contact information for the author/organization/sponsor? Can you contact the company or author through a real world postal address or phone number? How did you get to the site (Referral, link from another website, or search)?

Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus website Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

1.Who is the author? Is the author respected in the field? 2.What is the purpose of the website? 3.Where does the information come from? Does the information seem complete, consistent, well written, easy to understand? Is the information based mostly on fact or opinion? 4.When was the website written? Is the information current? Does it have a copyright? 5.Why is the information valuable? Can the reliability be confirmed by finding similar information from a trusted source? 6.How can you tell if this website is accurate? Do you believe that the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus really exists? Explain. GROUP WORK

Why is being a doubter a good rule of thumb on the Internet?