1. Evaluating Websites Using CRAAP 

2. Why Evaluate Websites? Anyone can publish on the Web
Many resources are not verified
No editors
Web often used to give a point of view
Market orientated
Mix of entertainment, information and advertising

3. Evaluate Websites Using the CRAAP test
Currency
Relevance
Authority
Accuracy
Purpose

4. Currency The timeliness of the information.
Is the information up-to-date?
Is the date of publication available?
Is there sufficient information on the topic?
Are there broken links on the page?

5. Relevance The importance of the information for your needs
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question?
Who is the intended audience?
Is the information at an appropriate level (i.e. not too elementary or advanced for your needs)?
Have you looked at a variety of sources before determining this is one you will use?
Would you be comfortable using this source for a research paper?

6. Authority The source of the information.
What are the author’s qualifications for writing this web page?
Are the author’s name and credentials listed on the website?
Is there contact information on the site?
Does the URL reveal anything about the author or source?      examples: .com .edu .gov .org .net

7. Accuracy The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the content
Can it be verified in an encyclopedia?
Is it relevant to your topic?
Does the author indicate where he found the information?
Is the information free of spelling and grammatical errors?

8. Purpose The reason the information exists
What is the purpose of the information? to inform? teach? sell? entertain? persuade?
Do the authors/sponsors make their intentions or purpose clear?
Is the information fact? opinion?
Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
Are there political, cultural, religious, institutional, or personal biases?

9. Credit Where Credit is Due
This Power Point Presentation was developed by Denise Borck.
Ms. Borck is the Media Specialist at William James Middle School.

10. Avoiding Plagiarism

11. Plagiarism
the act of passing off as one's own the ideas or writings of another

12. Examples of Plagiarism
Copying and pasting text from online encyclopedias or any web site
Copying another student’s test or homework
Using photographs, video or audio without permission or acknowledgement
Using another student’s or your parents’ work and claiming it as your own even with permission
Getting a research paper, story, poem, or article off the Internet
Failing to put a quote in quotation marks

13. Excuses It’s okay if I don’t get caught! Everyone does it!
I didn’t know it
was plagiarism.
How can I get
in trouble?
This assignment
was BORING!
I was too busy to
write that paper!
(getting my hair done, big
game, too much homework!)
My teachers
expect
too much!
My parents
expect “A”s!

14. Why is this important? What if:
Your architect cheated his way through design class? Will your new home be safe?
Your doctor cheated his way through surgical techniques class? Would he remove your appendix or spleen?
Your check out clerk cheated in math class? Will he give you the right change from your purchase?

15. How to Avoid Plagiarism
If you have paraphrased someone’s work, (summarizing a passage in your own words)-always give credit
Take very good notes--write down the source as you are taking notes. Do not wait until later to try and retrieve the original source
Avoid using someone else’s work with minor “cosmetic” changes

16. Know How to Paraphrase
Paraphrasing means putting an idea into your own words.
Don’t just rearrange the sentences or replace a few words.
Be able to summarize the original source without having it in front of you.

17. Is This Plagiarism? Original Text
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final research paper.
Paraphrased Text
Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many quotes in the final research paper.

18. Correct Way to Paraphrase
Original Text
Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final research paper.
Correct Paraphrasing
Students should take just a few notes as direct quotations from sources to help cut down the amount of quotes in a research paper.

19. Original Passage At the start of the Great Depression, many Americans wanted to believe that the hard times would be only temporary. Paraphrased Text At the beginning of the Great Depression, a lot of Americans wanted to think that the hard times would be only temporary.

20. Original Passage At the start of the Great Depression, many Americans wanted to believe that the hard times would be only temporary. Correct Paraphrasing The American people were hopeful the difficult times felt at the beginning of the Great Depression would not last.

21. Original Passage He was a very silent man by custom
Original Passage He was a very silent man by custom. Paraphrased Text He was usually a quiet person.

22. Paraphrase the Sentences
The adolescent maneuvered the bi-wheeled vehicle undamaged.
In the metropolis the recreational area was dilapidated.
The educator removed the unruly student from the environment.

23. Online Practice

24. Citations
Make sure you keep track of websites you visit so you will be able to complete your bibliography
If you use information from a site without giving proper credit to the author, you are plagiarizing

25. What is a “Works Cited” Page
What is a “Works Cited” Page? A “Works Cited” page is the name that MLA gives to a bibliography. It is a listing of all of the sources you cited in the body of your paper.

26. Works Cited Page
It should be the last page of your project. You should type the words “Works Cited” and center it on the page.
Each entry reads like one long sentence.
The second and subsequent lines are always indented five spaces.
The sources are listed alphabetically by the first word or name of the entry. This first word or name should be what you use in your parenthetical citation.

27. Example

28. What is Parenthetical Citation?
Parenthetical citation is when a writer directly puts into the text a note from where he or she got the information. Parenthetical or “in-text” citation allows your reader to know from what source each idea/fact came.

29. Examples Direct Quote In-Text Citation:
“In 2007, 37 percent of American adults sought medical information from the internet regarding a health problem they were experiencing before consulting a doctor” (Smith 38).
Indirect Quote In-Text Citation:
Instead of going to a doctor right away, a recent study found that 37 percent of Americans are now turning to the internet for medical information (Smith 38).

30. Online Bibliography Generator