1. Assessing Online Resources for Credibility Faculty Summer Institute—May 2012

2. Focus for today Evaluating websites Using databases To find credible articles To evaluate periodicals To evaluate books

3. Evaluating Websites

4. AuthorityAuthority (person or entity responsible) Qualifications/expertness/credentials Affiliation with a reputable institution/company Contact information or “About” information Domain name (.edu,.gov,.mil,.us,.org,.com,.net)

5. You Tube Tutorial

6. Currency When created When updated Links that are current Links that work

7. Purpose Type of website (personal, special interest/issues, professional, news, commercial, etc.) Neutral/unbiased, advocating, selling, etc.selling If advocating, look for “I think,” “it has been my experience,” “in my opinion,” etc.

8. References Documentation of references/sources Credible and authoritative references/sources Current references/sources

9. Tips Check more than one website to verify information A tilde (~) in the URL usually indicates a person published the information Shorten URLs to find the home page Following are links to find out about sites: www.whois.net http://www.who.is/website-information/ http://www.whois.com/ Go to library websites for lists of reviewed websites (usually categorized by subject)reviewed websites

10. Using Databases

11. Online Subscription Databases MCC -- http://www.mclennan.edu/library/databases.html http://www.mclennan.edu/library/databases.html Waco McLennan County Library -- http://www.waco-texas.com/cms-library/page.aspx?id=22 Baylor -- https://www1.baylor.edu/ERD/Search/Search.aspx https://www1.baylor.edu/ERD/Search/Search.aspx Tarleton -- http://www.tarleton.edu/library/databases.html http://www.tarleton.edu/library/databases.html

12. Use databases to find credible articles Academic Search Complete (database)

13. Results List

14. Detailed Record of the Article

15. Permalink -- (a persistent, stable link to the record for the article and the article)

16. Use databases to evaluate periodicals (print or electronic) Ulrichsweb (database)

17. Use databases to evaluate books (print or electronic) Books in Print (database)

18. Contact Information Sharon Kenan, Research & Instruction Librarian McLennan Community College Library 1400 College Drive Waco, Texas 76708 skenan@mclennan.edu 254-299-8343