Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 March 2016
When asked to gather information for any type of research project, books are the last place many of our students want to look, unless forced to do so because print sources are required as part of the assignment. The research tool of this “post-literate” generation is the computer, and their most frequently used source of information is the internet. In fact, using the internet seems to be the best way to keep my students engaged in any extensive, or ongoing, research project.
1 Also see the following sites. http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/janeWalburn/examples.htm, http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/reading/fact_and_opinion/factsheet.shtml, http://oldwww.ru.ac.za/library/infolit/view.htm, http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/evalcrit.html, http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=fact+vs.+opinion&rating=3
2 With less able students, or to save time, one might provide a number of examples and let students categorize the examples, and explain the reasons for their placement by using the criteria that I provided.
3 There are many excellent sites that provide criteria for evaluation websites, as well as definitions and examples of the criteria. Among the most helpful are the following: http://copia.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/webcrit.html, http://www.princeton.edu/~rbivens/research/sources/webcrit.html. The Widener library site also provides a tutorial at http://www3.widener.edu/Academics/Libraries/Wolfgram_Memorial_Library/Evaluate_Web_Pages/659/ as well as checklists for evaluating several of the various types of web pages. See also http://curriculalessons.suite101.com/article.cfm/evaluating_internet_sources, and http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/greatwebsites/greatwebsitesforkids/greatwebsites.cfm.
7 Ibid.
8 Hawkins, Donald T.. Technomonitor: What is Credible Information? In ONLINE Magazine, September 1999. http://web.archive.Org/web/20041020033059/http://www.infotoday.com/online/OL1999/technomonitor9.htmlGoogle Scholar
11 Ibid.
13 Ibid.
20 A WebQuest About Evaluating Web Sites at http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/evalwebstu.html