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Essential Research Skills

July 12th and 13th, 2010

Cuyahoga Community College

Evaluate Sources

• Who wrote the information?

• Why should you believe them?

• Can they prove their “facts” to you?

• When did they publish their information?

• Can you call them and ask for more details?

• Does the website have unnecessary advertisements?

Needle in a haystack

Google!

Results

Quality vs. Junk

• Strong Opinion• Irrelevant Ads• Pop Up Windows• Spelllng errors• Out of Date• Satire• Humor• Lies• Hate

• Cited Facts• No Ads• Toll Free Telephones• Email addresses• Mailing addresses• No pop ups• Dated / currency of

content.

The WebThese are great tools, but they are supported by multi-million dollar marketing budgets designed to

make YOU think that they provide access to everything at once, for free.

Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and Ask DO NOT CARE about you, your grades, or your questions.

“You get what you pay for”

• The free web searches free content.

• This can result in excellent information.– .org, .gov, .edu

• This can result in total nonsense.

• Libraries pay for the information that they collect.

Web vs. Library• On your ownOn your own• Tons of waste mixed Tons of waste mixed

amongst a few gemsamongst a few gems• Does not care for youDoes not care for you• Can’t thinkCan’t think• Free stuff of varying Free stuff of varying

authority. authority. • Uses your search to Uses your search to

record marketing data. record marketing data.

• Access to Access to professional researchprofessional research

• Research experts Research experts • Unbiased Unbiased • Private / confidentialPrivate / confidential

Citations (APA Style)

• Cite your work to show the teacher exactly what you found and where you found it.

NCSU Online Citation Builder