1. WEBSITE EVALUATION BECAUSE SOMETIMES, THE INTERNET LIES.

2. ● Print is your friend, but it isn’t your only friend. A lot of great information is floating around in cyberspace, and you just have to know how to tell the good stuff from the bad. ● A source is considered reliable when it has been written/researched/compiled by experts in whatever field the topic falls into. What is reliable?

3. Let’s start with what reliable sites aren’t. Reliable sites are NOT: ● biased (with biased websites, the goal is to persuade rather than to inform; facts may be bent, twisted, or misleading) ● trying to sell something (the goal is to sell rather than inform) ● social media, wikis (including wikipedia!), personal blogs (these sites can be edited by Joe Anybody; just because he says he’s an expert doesn’t make it true) How can you tell reliable from unreliable?

4. Reliable websites usually* ARE: ● Reputable academic institutions, news sources, magazines/channels, and museums (Discovery, Smithsonian, CNN, etc.) ● Online journals (reliable online journals include authors and bibliographies) ● Sites that end in.org or.edu *Emphasis here on usually: Some media outlets can seek to entertain rather than inform, and.org or.edu sites can be politically biased. Evaluate EVERYTHING! How can you tell reliable from unreliable?

5. 1.Author is listed 2.Gives date of publication and/or most recent update 3.Cites sources (just like you have to) 4.Names a publisher 5.Stuff on this checklistStuff on this checklist What to look for in a reliable source: