Module 3: Research

EVALUATING ONLINE RESOURCES

• Understanding the problem.
• Trying to search out the facts.
• Problems of quantity: Enough or not enough?
• Anatomy of a URL: Finding Broken Links
• Quality: Toward a solution.
• Putting it into practice.
• Jump to another topic in module 3.

Understanding the Problem

• Today, almost anyone can publish something on the Web. Creation of a Web page can take anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour.
• Typically only the Web page author is involved in the creation of the page. This person is researcher, author, publisher, proof reader, etc.
• Someone can publish something untrue on the Web (or other medium), and if enough people see it, everyone assumes it is true or accurate.
• Many people do not currently possess the skills to determine the validity of the information they encounter on electronic sources.

1. What are some of the challenges faced in evaluating the validity of online materials?

2. What are some ways you might use to evaluate the validity of an online source?

Don't be taken! Read about online scams at the following sites: National Fraud Information Center QuackWatch.com ScamBusters.org VIDEO: How to Spot Fake News (FactCheck.org)

Trying to Search Out the Facts

What is a fact?

• According to Dictionary.com: A fact is something that actually exists. Reality. Truth.

• In the old days, a fact was anything that was able to be proved, and thus accepted as true.

• Today, Dr. Steve suggests that our understanding of a fact is changing. Consider the following:
  • In the domain of politics, sometimes information that is presented as fact (like statistics on the employment rate) may involve a flawed system of gathering and/or analyzing data, or the data might be influenced by the bias of the political affiliation or orientation of the researcher.
  • In the domain of history, it has been suggested that it is difficult to present a factual history, because the writers are influenced by various biases. For example, an old cliche suggests that "history is written by the winners."
  • In the domain of science, the development of new technology allows new discoveries, which negate the old accepted "facts." (For example, how many planets are in our solar system?)

• Dr. Steve suggests that, given the speed at which new information is developed and new discoveries are made due to advances in technology, a fact refers to the understanding that we accept to be true as of this moment in time considering the constraints of our technology, subject to change in the future.
• Example:
  1. How many signs are in the zodiac? Check this site.

Finding definitive (factual) information. Using Google, try to answer the following question: What year did Gutenberg invent the printing press? Did you come up with one definitive year? If not, which source will you believe and why?

How do you determine quality?

Dr. Steve recommends:

• Trending: Consider the overall trend. In general, do people seem to recommend this product? Is there a common thread flowing through the user comments?
  • For example, if generally everyone likes a particular app, but a number of comments state that the app runs slowly, there might be validity in that point.
• Outliers: "Throw out" the statistical outliers, those few data points (comments) that fall outside of where the majority of comments are.
  • For example, if the majority of users rate a product as really usable, and one or two people state that it is unusable, disregard those comments. Maybe those comments can be attributed to user inexperience or error.
• Example: Do you enjoy going to Disney World? Check out the reviews at Trip Advisor.

Problems of Quantity: Enough or Not Enough?

Using Google or a search engine of your choice, try to answer the following question: How many cities named Dallas exist in the United States?   Anatomy of a URL: Finding Broken Links URL.pptx: Download Dr. Steve's presentation on understanding URL's. Before we consider how to evaluate online resources, let's understand a few quick points about how a URL is constructed. This information will help in evaluation of Web pages. A URL (uniform resource locator) is the Web address of a page. To navigate to a particular Web page, you enter the URL in the location bar of a Web browser. The following is the format for a URL: http://www.servername.domain.countrycode/foldername/filename.html (For comparison, the format for an e-mail address is: username@servername.domain) Parts of a URL http Refers to hypertext transfer protocol. Tells the Web browser that you are attempting to open a Web document composed in HTML (hypertext mark-up language). :// This punctuation is needed to separate the rest of the URL. www Indicates that you are seeking to load information from the World Wide Web. server name Server name is the name of the computer where the Web page is stored. domain Domain names are three-letter codes that differentiate differentiate different types of Web pages. For example: .com (commercial); .net (Internet service provider, also called an ISP); .edu (educational institution); .gov (government); .org (organization); .mil (military). country code Country codes are two-letter codes that indicate which country the Web page originates from. For example: CA (Canada); CH (Switzerland); FR (France); JP (Japan); UK (United Kingdom/Great Britain). foldername This is the name of a folder on the server in which files are stored, similar to the folders on your PC. filename.html This is the name of the Web page file, composed in HTML. If a filename is given a special reserved name, index.html, you do not have to type it to view it. This technique is used on most Web sites to reduce the amount of information you have to remember and type in. Many times you reach Web pages out of context when searching. The following hit was returned to you in a search. Where is it from? Backtrack through the folder names in the URL to learn more about the page. Would you use this page for scientific research? Research paper on Big Foot Web pages come and go. Sometimes during a search you will encounter broken links. Can you backtrack through the following broken links to locate a page you can view? https://drsteveb.droppages.net/TED121/seminar/notes.html   Quality: Toward a Solution Probably the most serious problem of sorting through the vast amounts of data available deals with quality. Is this sound, good quality material? How can I tell? In working toward a solution, two researchers expanded on the generally accepted five traditional evaluation criteria, trying to bring these criteria up-to-date and appropriate for the Information Age. Five Traditional Evaluation Criteria (Alexander & Tate, 1999): Accuracy Authority Objectivity Currency Coverage In addition, the following are helpful online resources to assist in evaluating online resources: Evaluating Sources (University of Maryland Global Campus) Evaluating Information Found on the Internet   Five Criteria for the Information Age (adapted from Alexander & Tate, 1999): Criterion #1: Authority Problem: What are the author's qualifications for writing on the subject? How reputable is the publisher? Facts: Often difficult to determine authorship of Web resources. If author's name listed, his/her qualifications frequently absent. Publisher responsibility often not indicated. Criterion #2: Objectivity Problem: Is the information presented with a minimum of bias? To what extent is the information trying to sway the opinion of the audience? Facts: Web often functions as a virtual soap box. Goals/aims of persons or groups presenting material often not clearly stated. Criterion #3: Accuracy Problem: How reliable and free from error is the information? Were any editors or fact checkers used to review the work before it was published? Facts: Almost anyone can publish on the Web. Many Web resources not verified by editors and/or fact checkers. Web standards to ensure accuracy not fully developed. Criterion #4: Currency Problem: Is the content of the work up-to-date? Is the publication date clearly indicated? Facts: Dates not always included on Web pages. If included, a date may have various meanings: Date first created Date placed on Web Date last revised Criterion #5: Coverage Problem: What topics are included in the work? To what depth are topics explored? Facts: Web coverage may differ from print or other media coverage. Often hard to determine extent of Web coverage.   Challenges of Web Resources (adapted from Alexander & Tate): Challenge: Search engines can retrieve Web pages out of context. Strategy: Always try to return to the home page to determine the source of information. Challenge: In other media, there usually are clear visual and/or audio distinctions between advertising and information. On the Web, distinctions between advertising and information can become extremely blurred. Strategy: Try to determine if advertising and informational content are supplied by the same person or organization. Challenge: Web pages may move or disappear without notice. Strategy: Try to determine the stability of your source, and document source to the fullest extent possible. Challenge: Web pages are susceptible to alteration (accidental or deliberate). Strategy: Attempt to verify information using other sources.   Summary: How Do You Tell a Quality Resource? Evaluating electronic resources can be challenging. In general, ask the following questions? Is the source authoritative? Who authored the page? Is the page on a reliable server (on an educational or governmental site vs. a commercial site)? Is it an information source or advertising? Does the information appear to be accurate? Doe the information appear to be objective? Is the site attempting to sway your opinion? Does the information appear to be current? Does it appear that the subject has received sufficient coverage? Are all sides of the subject/issue covered?   Putting It Into Practice Are these sites for real??? Use the resources listed on this page to determine if the following sites are valid. Is the information provided at the following legal sites valid? StupidLaws.com Dumbest Laws in America Which of the following would you trust to provide reasons to use the iPad in the classroom? Why iPad? The iPad in education: uses, benefits, and challenges Which one of the following is the real White House? Is this the White House? Or is this the White House? Can you trust the following news story from GlossyNews.com? Story about the Covid vaccine Which of the following Web sites are valid for use in a research paper about PDA's and why? Handhelds in the Classroom Personal Digital Assitants and PC's Dave's PDA Place In gathering information for a health lesson on smoking, you searched and retrieved the hits listed below. Which of the following sites would you feel confident enough to use in preparing a lesson on this subject? Role of Media in Tobacco Control Why Is Smoking an Issue for Non-smokers? Why Do Public Health Advocates Lie about the Risks of Smoking? In gathering information about the assassination of President Lincoln, you searched and retrieved the hits listed below. Which of the following sites would you feel confident enough to use in preparing a lesson on this subject? SeacoastNH.com Assassination Page R. J. Norton's Lincoln Assassination Page The Suppressed Truth about the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln In gathering information about the effectiveness of masks to prevent Covid, you searched and retrieved the hits listed below. Which of the following sites would you feel confident enough to use in preparing a lesson on this subject? How well do face masks protect against coronavirus? Use and Care of Masks Myth or Fact: Masks are effective against COVID-19 When using online resources (Web pages) for use in a classroom presentation for your students or for research, be sure to evaluate the resource carefully! Ensure it is accurate, authoritative, objective, current, and that it sufficiently covers the topic.   JUMP TO ANOTHER TOPIC IN MODULE 3:   Searching MU's library and online databases.   Evaluating online resources.   Course paper.   Dr. Steve's "Help with APA" Page. Module 1. Topics. TED 121 Dr. Steve