assessing online resources for credibility

Assessing Online Resources for Credibility

Faculty Summer Institute—May 2012

Focus for today

Evaluating websites

Using databases To find credible articles To evaluate periodicals To evaluate books

Evaluating Websites

Authority (person or entity responsible)

Qualifications/expertness/credentials

Affiliation with a reputable institution/company

Contact information or “About” information

Domain name (.edu, .gov, .mil, .us, .org, .com, .net)

You Tube Tutorial

Currency

When created

When updated

Links that are current

Links that work

Purpose

Type of website (personal, special interest/issues, professional, news, commercial, etc.)

Neutral/unbiased, advocating, selling, etc.

If advocating, look for “I think,” “it has been my experience,” “in my opinion,” etc.

References

Documentation of references/sources Credible and authoritative references/sources

Current references/sources

Tips Check more than one website to verify information

A tilde (~) in the URL usually indicates a person published the information

Shorten URLs to find the home page

Following are links to find out about sites: www.whois.net http://www.who.is/website-information/ http://www.whois.com/

Go to library websites for lists of reviewed websites (usually categorized by subject)

Using Databases

Online Subscription Databases MCC -- http://www.mclennan.edu/library/databases.html

Waco McLennan County Library -- http://www.waco-texas.com/cms-library/page.aspx?id=22

Baylor -- https://www1.baylor.edu/ERD/Search/Search.aspx

Tarleton -- http://www.tarleton.edu/library/databases.html

Use databases to find credible articles

Academic Search Complete (database)

Results List

Detailed Record of the Article

Permalink --(a persistent, stable link to the record for the article and the article)

Use databases to evaluate periodicals (print or electronic)

Ulrichsweb (database)

Use databases to evaluate books (print or electronic)

Books in Print (database)

Contact InformationSharon Kenan, Research & Instruction LibrarianMcLennan Community College Library1400 College DriveWaco, Texas 76708skenan@mclennan.edu254-299-8343