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Research Tips

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The World Wide Web has a lot to offer, but not all sources are equally valuable or reliable. Anyone can put anything on the web without being censored or verified. It is difficult to sift through the information to evaluate it. 
Use this checklist of questions as a guide to aid in evaluation:

• Authority
  Who is the author? Have you heard of him before? Is he an acknowledged expert in this particular subject area?

What organization is sponsoring the page? Is this an organization you've heard of before? Does it have a presence in the real world as well as online?

Can you follow the links back to find out how the page is related to a larger authority? Does the domain of the page influence your evaluation of the site?

• Accuracy
  Are the sources for any factual information clearly listed so they can be verified in another source?

Is the information free of grammatical, spelling and typographical errors?

• Objectivity
  What is the point of view? Does the information seem biased?

Is there advertising on the page? Is it clearly separated from the information content?

Does the web information contradict something you found somewhere else?

Are opinion pages clearly labeled?

• Coverage
  Does the page cover the information that you need? Is it too elementary or too technical?

Is the information primary or secondary in nature? Does it matter?

Does the page include links to other pages that back up the information?

• Currency
  When was the document created? When was the page last updated? Does currency matter for your purpose?

For additional information on web site evaluation, go to:

• Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources - UCLA College Library

• Evaluating World Wide Web Information - Purdue University

• Kathy Schrock's Guide for Critical Evaluation of Information

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• Doing a Research Paper

• A Student's Guide to Research with the WWW

• Steps in the Research and Writing Process

• U-Study Library Instruction

• Research Guide from the Internet Public Library

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• Hot Paper Topics

• Hot Topics on the Internet

• Issues Library

• Research Questions: Persuasion  

• Speakout

• Subject Pathfinders (has great essential questions)

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• 11 Rules of Writing

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