Evaluating websites

Slide 1 : Purpose of Today To be good, efficient searchers Application of Step 3 of the Information Search Model for self and students Evaluating sites – Step 4 of Information Search Model

Information Search Model : Information Search Model Choosing a Topic/Defining a Task Developing Questions Finding Sources Selecting and Evaluating Sources Recording and Organizing Information Making the Product Evaluating the Work

Searching for Information : Searching for Information Step 3: Finding Sources

Step 3: Finding Sources : Step 3: Finding Sources What are the possible sources? Where can I find these sources?

What are possible sources? : What are possible sources? Books Reference works: Encyclopedias and dictionaries Magazine Articles Newspaper Articles Web Sites Interviews Other Sources

Example -- What might be the best source for : Example -- What might be the best source for Choices: books, magazine or newspaper articles, web sites 1. Information about a shooting at the White House that happened in February, 2001. 2. Information about an event that happened today. 3. Information about the latest diet fad. 4. Background information concerning gun control. 5. What happened to Jesse Owens in Berlin?

Myth: You can find everything in web sites on the Internet. : Myth: You can find everything in web sites on the Internet. Much too much information has been written to have it all on the Internet. Copyright doesn’t allow everything to be on the Internet

Where do you find these sources? : Where do you find these sources? ONLINE Check the Novell launcher for the following icons: Library: OPAC Online Public Access Catalog Library: Web Resources

Library: OPAC Online Public Access Catalog : Library: OPAC Online Public Access Catalog Books Reference Materials (encyclopedias and dictionaries)

Library: OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) : Library: OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) PRACTICE Logon Click on Library: OPAC Search for information on hockey.

Library: Web resources : Library: Web resources Subscription databases Infotrac databases SIRS Proquest Web resources Subject Directories Search Engines Metacrawlers

Library: Web Resources : Library: Web Resources

Library: Web Resources : Library: Web Resources PRACTICE Go to Launcher Click on Library: Web Resources

Practice: : Practice: Find information about 1. What happened to Jesse Owens at the Olympics in Berlin? 2. What happened when he returned home? Look in: Books Magazines and newspapers Web sites

Think about: : Think about:

Do I know how to be a good, efficient searcher? : Do I know how to be a good, efficient searcher? Considerations: Am I using the best source? Do I know how to search a computer database? What do I know about Electronic Searching?

Electronic Searching : Electronic Searching

Electronic Searching : Electronic Searching Using a computer to find information Involves searching a database Databases: Local database restricted to one computer (Encarta CD-ROM, address book) Online, accessible over a network (SIRS, Infotrac, Grolier’s Online, Yahoo) A database is a collection of records

Databases : Databases You must understand how a database is organized. Printed examples: Telephone directory Reader’s Guide Bartlett’s quotations Online examples: Address book Encyclopedia OPAC Yahoo

Database record : Database record Each entry is a record. Records are divided into fields, for example: Title field Author field Subject field Text field The computer only searches what is in the records.

Example of a record: : Example of a record:

Myth: It is easy to search databases using the computer. : Myth: It is easy to search databases using the computer. Computers have made it easier to collect and store information. Computers can manipulate that information at amazing speeds. However, computers can not THINK!Computers match words and symbols. It takes skill to find information using a computer.

Two ways to search : Two ways to search Subject Searching Keyword Searching What is the difference?

Practice : Practice Example: Turn on monitor Click on Infotrac Click on Begin a New Search Type twins in the search box.

Results: : Results: How many “hits” Using keyword search? ________ Now use subject search. How many hits? _________

Subject searching : Subject searching Easier; it is like using an index. Organized by a person with a brain. Suggestion: Always try subject searching first. Why? You generally will get better results. Examples: Subject searching in Infotrac Yahoo

Keyword searching : Keyword searching Keyword searching is very powerful. Keyword searching is very fast. Very often this is the only searching option especially when using a search engine on the internet.

Keyword searching : Keyword searching Remember a computer is really pretty stupid; it is fast and can manipulate information, but it cannot THINK! YET! Most of the time it doesn’t even know that a car and an automobile are the same thing! They are working on this! You need to know how to talk the computer’s language.

Keywords : Keywords You must provide a word or set of words that will enable a computer to find matches, or “hits.” Example: What are the effects, if any, of television violence on children? Keywords: effects television violence children

Refining Keywords : Refining Keywords Synonyms Broad terms and narrow terms Truncation Wildcards Stemming Case sensitivity Plurals

Synonyms : Synonyms What are the effects, if any, of television violence on children? Keywords: The computer will not find: effects -- influence television -- tv, t.v., or cable violence -- aggression children -- child, kids, teenagers, or adolescents

Broad vs. narrow keywords : Broad vs. narrow keywords Broad narrow narrower Media television cable television Let’s look for a book in our library on tigers.

Truncation: Wildcards : Truncation: Wildcards Using symbols to represent letters in word or at the end of word Possible symbols: ?, *, !, $, or # You need to check the database you are using Examples: Color or colour = colo!r ! Can mean one or more letters or no letters Relevence or relevance = relev?nce ? Can mean any letter

Truncation: stemming : Truncation: stemming Stemming: teen teen* teens teenagers Some programs perform automatic stemming. Example: When you keyword search for the word farm you will find the words farm, farming, farmer, farms, etc.

Plurals : Plurals Some search tools recognize plurals, some do not. Look for dolphins in Groliers Online Encyclopedia. You have to use the word dolphin.

Case sensitivity: : Case sensitivity: Most searching tools don’t care about case. However, it is possible. It is also helpful to capitalize proper names. US = us = U.S. = United States JFK = jfk Devils Lake = devils lake

Talking to the computer: : Talking to the computer: Refined keywords Consider synonyms Truncation Case sensitivity Plurals Field searching Boolean operators Phrase searching

Field Searching : Field Searching The computer can be told to search in certain areas of the record: Title: (search in the title field) Image: (search for a picture) URL: (search for the URL of the record)

Boolean Operators : Boolean Operators Connecting terms that give instructions to the computer AND OR NOT Notice the capitalization – and is not the same as AND

Boolean Operators: AND : Boolean Operators: AND AND allows you to combine terms: television AND violence AND is a limiting search violence

Boolean operators: OR : Boolean operators: OR OR allows you to search for similar terms OR expands the search

Boolean Operators: NOT : Boolean Operators: NOT NOT allows you to exclude terms NOT is a limiting search. EXAMPLE: OPAC Power Search

Boolean Operators and some symbols : Boolean Operators and some symbols AND, + Or, | NOT or AND NOT or BUT NOT, - , x NEAR WITH w/10 there are others

Default operators : Default operators Most of the time the default is OR That is: most programs understand the instruction between two terms to be OR. television violence The computer will look for articles that contain the words: television OR violence Beware: this is subject to change at any time

Phrase Searching : Phrase Searching VERY USEFUL searching TIP!!! Using quotation marks “two words” Tell the computer to look for two or more words together: “television violence” “acid rain” “Red River Valley” “Red River Valley of the North”

How do I know how to search? : How do I know how to search? HELP Help screens are available in every search tool Use them for hints on searching

What do these mean? : What do these mean? mental AND health mental OR health mental NOT health “mental health” “mental health” NOT institut*

Practice Keyword searching: : Practice Keyword searching: How did Jesse Owens get picked to be on the Olympic team? What happened to Jesse Owens at the Olympics in Berlin? Did Hitler snub Jesse? What happened when Jesse returned home? What impact did Jesse have on society?

Internet web sites : Internet web sites Step 4 Selecting and Evaluating Sources

Let’s Look at This Site : Let’s Look at This Site Mankato, Minnesota

Why did he create this site? : Why did he create this site? Because he could!! No internet police No regulations To teach!! What is the next question??

Question? : Question? How do we know what is a good site? Answer: We have to learn to evaluate.

Credibility : Credibility Who is responsible? Any qualifications? Usually found at beginning or end of site. What organization do they represent? Have you heard of this organization? Check the home page. Links? How do we verify credibility? Postal address Telephone number e-mail???-- NO NO NO not enough!

Accuracy : Accuracy Date? Revision date? Errors? Spelling Grammar

Reasonableness : Reasonableness Emotionalism? (Mr. Bunny!) Purpose of the site? Bias? Identify bias in your research! Advertising

Support : Support Information in any other place? Domain. http://www.west-fargo.k12.nd.us .k12 school .edu college and university .com commercial .net internet resource .org nonprofit organization .gov government

Decision time!! : Decision time!! Do you or do you not use the site? NO, if you cannot verify the authors or sponsoring organization. Then you need to carefully decide considering all of the criteria. C A R S

C A R S : C A R S Credibiliity? Accuracy? Reasonableness? Support?