Evaluating websites salazar

Evaluating Websites

English 101 – Mrs. Salazar

November 11, 2010

About domain names

Purpose

.com - commercial

.org – nonprofit entities

.gov – government agencies

.edu – educational institutions

State or Country of Origin

.uk

.ca

.ca.us

.ca.gov (www.dmv.ca.gov)

Understanding the URL

http://www.stanford.edu/~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm

http:// is the protocol or access method

www.stanford.edu is the domain or host name

.edu is the top level domain

~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm is the directory path folder on the domain computer

Evaluation Criteria

Authorship – Do the authors have authority on the topic? .com, .org, .gov, .edu?

Currency – Is this site out of date for your topic?

Accuracy – Works cited? Does the information fit with what you know?

Purpose – Why was the site created?

Who is the author?

Look for an “About Us” link on the page. Is it a personal page? Check for a tilde (~) in

the URL. If you can’t figure out who is responsible for

the page, try truncating the URL:

http://www.stanford.edu/~ccarson/articles/am_left.htm

Still not sure?

Try Googling the author’s name.

Clayborne Carson

Evaluation starts on results page

Let’s look at Google:

www.google.com

Let’s Practice

Carefully read the following question and then examine the two websites to see which would be the better choice.

Which site would you use?

You are writing a research paper about theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis for his opposition to Hitler. Which of the following sources would be a better place to get an overview of his life and work?

A. Bonhoeffer www.pbs.org/bonhoeffer

B. Dietrich Bonhoeffer www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/bonhoeffer

C. Both choices are equally good.

D. Neither choice appears reliable.


You are writing a research paper about the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for a history class. Which site provides better information about bridge aerodynamics for you and your audience?

A. Computational Bridge Aerodynamics www.bridgeaerodynamicslab.us/index.htm

B. Mark Ketchum’s Bridge Aerodynamics Page www.ketchum.org/wind.html




You are writing a research paper on Sojourner Truth and want to

find verifiable biographical information about her. Which of the following sources would be the better choice?

A. San Antonio College LitWeb www.alamo.edu/sac/english/bailey/struth.htm

B. Sojourner Truth – African American Historical Figure

http://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nsotrue.html




You are writing an essay exploring the life and work of Chinua Achebe and want to learn more about Achebe’s views. Which of the following sources would be the better choice?

A. Chinua Achebewww.kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm

B. The Failure Interview: Chinua Achebe by Jason Zasky

failuremag.com/index.php/feature/article/chinua_achebe




You are writing an essay about the health aspects of choosing a

vegetarian diet. Which of the following sources would be a better place to get objective scientific information?

A. Meat vs. Vegetarian Diet

http://technorati.com/lifestyle/article/meat-vs-vegetarian-diet-your-best/

B. Vegetarianism in a Nutshell: Health

www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/vegetarianism-in-a-nutshell-health.aspx




You are writing a research paper exploring the pros and cons of using “marriage promotion” as a means to decrease poverty and improve families’ well-being. Which source below would be a more reliable source of statistics? Be prepared to explain your reasoning.

A. The Heritage Foundationwww.heritage.org/Research/Family/cda0306.cfm

B. The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study www.fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/



Review of Evaluation Criteria

Authorship – Do the authors have authority on the topic? .com, .org, .gov, .edu?

Currency – Is this site out of date for your topic?

Accuracy – Works cited? Does the information fit with what you know?

Purpose – Why was the site created?

Technology

Evaluating websites salazar