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| Web Research 101; Avoid Pitfalls of Web Research | |
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| Topic Started: May 14 2009, 08:28 AM (85 Views) | |
| Anna Krome | May 14 2009, 08:28 AM Post #1 |
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Advanced Member
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http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-your-skills/109995.html?CampaignID=4964 Using the Web Wisely Thanks to the Web, information is easier to find than ever before, but it’s also easy, and inexpensive (if not free), to post something online. Whether you’re writing a term paper, studying for an exam, deciding which product to buy, or who to support in the next election, the challenge is to select only reliable sources. How can you tell a solid source from one that is more likely to have factual errors, present only one side of an argument, or worse? Here are some guidelines gleaned from university library websites around the country. Research with Attitude Conduct your research with the attitude of a skeptic. As you examine websites for clues that they’re trustworthy, ask these questions: Who authored the Web page? If you can’t identify the individual or organization responsible for the information, don’t use it. What are the author’s qualifications for writing on the subject? Has the article passed through an editorial process designed to ensure quality and accuracy? What is the website’s purpose? Look out for motives, like selling products and winning votes, that could result in biased or incomplete information. Is the information accurate? Is it up-to-date? Where did the author get this information? Dot-What? Skepticism saves the day. First, look at the site’s address. What follows the dot? Dot-com usually indicates a for-profit business. Dot-coms include well-known and respected newspapers, as well as businesses whose main concerns are profits. Dot-org usually indicates a not-for-profit organization. Many dot-orgs present unbiased information, but others have political agendas, focus on debatable issues instead of facts, and might not present all sides of an argument. Dot-net probably means that you’re looking at a personal website. A tilde (~) in the address is another strong clue. Remember: anyone can write something and post it to the Web. Dot-gov indicates a federal government website. The government is a good source of statistics and its sites are widely considered among the most reliable. Dot-edu indicates a university website. University sites are also considered very trustworthy. However, anyone associated with a school, whether a world-renowned scholar or a freshman, can be given space on its server. Professors sometimes put student course work up on the Web, but that doesn’t mean they’re vouching for the information’s accuracy. Read Between the Lines Anyone can write something and post it to the Web. You’ll need to make some judgment calls based on your own analysis of the site and the article. Look for facts you know or can check out with a trusted source. If the article has those right, it’s more likely that information new to you is also accurate. Study the language the writer uses. Is it angry, satiric, ironic, overly impassioned? Or is the language appropriate for an unbiased source of information? Are the arguments logical? Are they backed up by evidence? Do the conclusions make sense given the evidence? Does the author acknowledge sources? Expect a bibliography for scholarly writing. As always, presentation counts. Consider everything from design to spelling. A clean, thought-out site indicates a certain degree of professionalism. More Tips Finally, look beyond the article for more clues. Check out the home page and the About Us page. Look for a mission statement to learn more about the site, its purpose, and the organization sponsoring it. Look for a biography of the author that discusses the author’s education, profession, and other relevant background. If there is no bio, look for one elsewhere on the Web. Use the traffic rankings search box on Alexa, a Web navigation tool, to search for sites that link to the site you’re investigating. Do any reputable directories link to the site? |
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Krome on Cars | |
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| Vanna White | May 30 2009, 10:46 AM Post #2 |
Advanced Member
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I use Google Scholar frequently, as the results of searches bring you a wealth of actual research from sources that tend to be more reliable than an average search will get you. That being said, yo still need to follow the advise of the article posted above and read with the eyes of a skeptic. Just go to Google.com, click on the "More" drop down menu, then "Scholar," and type in the topic you want to research. |
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