SETTING THE STAGE SETTING THE STAGE FOR RESEARCHFOR RESEARCH

Karen L. PorterKaren L. Porter

LS 591.01LS 591.01

June, 2010June, 2010

Evaluating Web PagesEvaluating Web Pages

Anyone can publish material on the Anyone can publish material on the Internet.Internet.

As you research, you must choose As you research, you must choose your sites carefully by deciding what your sites carefully by deciding what is valid and what is not valid.is valid and what is not valid.

Read and think critically as you Read and think critically as you research your topic. You need to research your topic. You need to double-check all information.double-check all information.

Guidelines For Choosing a Web Guidelines For Choosing a Web PagePage

Check that the author of the site is an Check that the author of the site is an expert in the subject you are researching.expert in the subject you are researching.

Look for credentials, education, or experience that would verify a person’s expertise in your research topic.

Insider Tip: On many sites, there will be a link to email the site’s author.

Sometimes this will be plainly stated or seen on a Sometimes this will be plainly stated or seen on a page. Sometimes the information can be found at page. Sometimes the information can be found at

links such as “About,” “Information,” “FAQs.”links such as “About,” “Information,” “FAQs.”

Kathy Schrock is the Director of Technology for the Kathy Schrock is the Director of Technology for the Nauset Public Schools on Cape Cod, MA. A large Nauset Public Schools on Cape Cod, MA. A large part of her job deals with infusing technology part of her job deals with infusing technology throughout the curriculum in all areas and at all throughout the curriculum in all areas and at all grade levels. Previously a library media specialist, grade levels. Previously a library media specialist, she is very interested in search strategies, she is very interested in search strategies, evaluation of Internet information, copyright issues, evaluation of Internet information, copyright issues, emerging technologies and gadgets, and the use of emerging technologies and gadgets, and the use of technology as a tool to support instruction. Kathy is technology as a tool to support instruction. Kathy is also an Adobe Education Leader, a Google Certified also an Adobe Education Leader, a Google Certified Teacher, and a Discovery STAR Educator. Teacher, and a Discovery STAR Educator.

Shorten the site’s URLShorten the site’s URLDelete characters in the URL backwards, stopping at each backslash. Eventually, you will reach the home page of the site your information stems from originally. The homepage may offer valuable information about the creator of the Web page.

http://www.world-cup-info.com/history/stats/gamesplayed

http://www.world-cup-info.com/history/stats

http://www.world-cup-info.com/history

http://www.world-cup-info.com

Check the outgoing and incoming linksCheck the outgoing and incoming links

Outgoing links may show other reliable sites. You should check the links and evaluate the quality of those sites as well.

Back to School & End of School Resources   Back to School Checklists...this site links to sites to help you get off to a good start     Back to School Lesson Plans...teacher-submitted ideas for that back-to-school time 

Incoming links Incoming links Use a search engine to find Use a search engine to find

that link to this page.that link to this page.

Do they seem reliable?Do they seem reliable?Can you validate the Can you validate the

expertise of the authors?expertise of the authors?What do you find when you What do you find when you

shorten the addresses of shorten the addresses of those sites?those sites?

ALTA VISTAALTA VISTA

To check a site’s incoming links, To check a site’s incoming links, use the search engine use the search engine AltaVistaAltaVista. . In the search box In the search box type “link,” and the address you want type “link,” and the address you want

to to check, with no spaces between.check, with no spaces between.

The results will show every site that The results will show every site that links to the site in question.links to the site in question.

Insider TipInsider Tip

One way to check information that One way to check information that you find as you research is to you find as you research is to confirm the information in three confirm the information in three separate reliable sources.separate reliable sources.

Librarians’ Internet IndexLibrarians’ Internet Index

The Librarians’ Internet Index is a tool The Librarians’ Internet Index is a tool for finding quality Web sites. for finding quality Web sites.

Enter a keyword in the search box, and Enter a keyword in the search box, and the the Librarians' Internet IndexLibrarians' Internet Index will list will list sites that have been checked for sites that have been checked for quality and accuracy. New sites are quality and accuracy. New sites are added each week, so the content is added each week, so the content is current.current.

WAYBACKMACHINEWAYBACKMACHINE

Web pages can be changed and Web pages can be changed and updated frequently—every day or updated frequently—every day or even several times a day if the even several times a day if the page’s author chooses.page’s author chooses.

The old version is not gone forever.

Type a site’s URL into Type a site’s URL into WayBackMachine’s search box, and WayBackMachine’s search box, and it will return a listing of every date on it will return a listing of every date on which that site had been updated.which that site had been updated.

When you click a date, the WayBackMachine shows you the version of the website as it appeared on that day.

The The WayBackMachineWayBackMachine is a tool that is a tool that allows a user to go back and see allows a user to go back and see older versions of websites. This tool older versions of websites. This tool is an archive of the Internet.is an archive of the Internet.

How can the WayBackMachine How can the WayBackMachine be helpful?be helpful?

If you return to an online source and see If you return to an online source and see that information you found earlier has that information you found earlier has been replaced with new information, been replaced with new information, this tool can help you find the older this tool can help you find the older site.site.

WayBackMachine can help you find WayBackMachine can help you find information from a certain day or time information from a certain day or time period.period.

Discuss with your neighbor:Discuss with your neighbor:

Why should you verify information Why should you verify information you find on the Internet?you find on the Internet?

What will you do differently What will you do differently regarding research after this lesson?regarding research after this lesson?

How would you indicate your Website How would you indicate your Website was reliable if you were creating was reliable if you were creating one?one?

Sources:Sources:

http://school.discoveryeducation.comhttp://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/edres.html/schrockguide/edres.html

http://www.archive.org/web/web.phphttp://www.archive.org/web/web.php (WayBackMachine)(WayBackMachine)http://www.ipl.org/http://www.ipl.org/ (Librarians’ Internet Index)(Librarians’ Internet Index)http://www.altavista.com/http://www.altavista.com/Microsoft Word Clip ArtMicrosoft Word Clip Art