Be a “URL”
Detective:
Case of the Appropriate Site
The internet has become a part of our lives. Information can be
quickly found with a touch of a button. Even though most of the time at
school you will go to already linked sites, there will be times at school and
home that you rely on a search engine such as Google.com, Yahoo.com, or
Yahooligans.com. Although URL’s can take us just about any place, we need
to be sure that where we are going and the information we are getting is
reliable and appropriate. Follow the clues below and find out the mystery of
the Case of the Appropriate Site.
Audience: Just as an author of a book writes for a reason (inform,
persuade, entertain), those that have sites also create them for a
reason. Look at the site and decide why the site was created and who
(preschoolers, elementary, middle school, high school, adult) it was made for.
Detective Notes:
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_________________________________________________________
Bias (Objectivity): Is the page filled with links to other sites or does
it provide information? Be sure to check to see if the information is
someone’s opinion, for fun, or a scam. Are you comfortable with the way the
information is presented?
Detective Notes:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Reliability (Authority): Anyone can publish things on the web. Look at
the domain name (.edu, .com., .ac, .uk, .org, .net). Is the author an
expert? Is there a link to find out more about the author? Who published
it?
Detective Notes:
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_________________________________________________________
Truthfulness (Accuracy): This clue is similar to the Reliability clue.
Consider the purpose of the site (look at the home page). Are the
sources documented? Can the facts be verified from other sources? Be
sure that the authors give credit and cite where they got their information
from. For more information about plagiarism (copying another person’s work)
go to http://www.plagiarism.org/.
Detective Notes:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Up to Date: Sometimes information that we come across can seem
accurate, but it was written in 1972. Be sure to look at when the page
or site started, and if the information is current. Another important
feature to look for are updates and/or revision dates to the website.
Detective Notes:
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Design: Be sure to take note if the site loads in a timely matter, if it
is easy to navigate, and if the links are helpful and reliable.
Detective Notes:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Can you solve the Case of the Appropriate Site?
Was the page worth visiting? Does it contain the information that you
were looking for? Look at the clues to help you figure out your final opinion.
Crack the Case of the Appropriate Site:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Once you have solved the mystery of an Appropriate Site,
Remember to document your sources, including images, quotations, or
other written or audio material. Don’t forget to credit (cite) the author,
creator of the website, or URL from which you gathered your information.
If you COPY the information, you are GUILTY of plagiarism. Questions
about citation rules and/or plagiarism? (Copying another person’s work) go
to http://www.plagiarism.org/.
Sources:
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html
http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html
http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html
http://www.lesley.edu/library/guides/research/evaluating_web.html
Clip Art
http://office.microsoft.com/enus/clipart/default.aspx?ver=12&app=winword.exe
Plagiarism
http://www.plagiarism.org/