...Material Appendix E Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources Source | What makes the source credible or what does not make it credible? Consider the following when addressing the source: What is the author’s affiliation to any organization related to the subject of the article? Does he or she have an ulterior motive? * What is the author’s experience with the subject, including academic or professional credentials related to the subject of the source article? Does she or he have what it takes to understand the complexities of the subject? * Does this article report on information that the author experienced personally, or is it a summary or retelling of information from other sources? How close is the author to the actual information? * Is the information current? When was the information published or last updated? Might there be resources with more current information? * In general, does the information in the source article match the information found in other sources? Or is the information different or unique? Can this information be confirmed by more sources than just this one? * Does the source make any claims without having evidence to support them? | Explain in at least two to four sentences what information you can gather from this source? | Source nameMetaphors, Monuments and Texts: The Life Course in Roman Culture by Ray Laurence from World Archaeology, Feb 2000, Vol.31, Issue 3 | I consider this source of information credible because it is an academic...
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...prehistoric hunter-gather ancestors didn’t eat it, that we shouldn’t either. The sources I have chosen to use include informational articles found at thepaleodiet.com (http://thepaleodiet.com/about-the-paleo-diet/), a Uwire text/article - (http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA364130430&v=2.1&u=swinburne1&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=c4d0f209e911ce4748ef9cf3946b329d), a YouTube video and its comments (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfLDioJzmIE), and a forum on Bodybuilding.com as another social source (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/what-is-the-paleo-diet.html?page=1). Thepaleodiet.com helped me learn more about learn about the health benefits of Paleo. I chose this source after a google search returned it as a result, and I was drawn to it as it appeared to be quite informational from its short description. This informational source is an example of constructivism through presenting information for the reader. At first glance this site came across as a potentially unreliable source – there was a presence of advertising. But further exploration started proving that this site was in fact reliable. According to Metzger (2007), credible online sources are ones in which we can identify the author and their credentials. In this case, the author is Ph.D. and professor of Health and Exercise Science. Information that is current, displays views that are facts and not opinions, and have other sources of information that can verify their accuracy may also be considered to...
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...HOW TO ANALYSE SOURCES ANALYSING OF SOURCES Historical criticism.-> Original document? How, when, and why did it come into being? Where does it come from? Who is the author or the cartoonist or the cameraman? 2 critical questions: Could the witness possibly have known the truth? Did the witness wish to tell the truth? EVALUATING OF SOURCES Authenticity? (are there factual errors in the source?) Reliability? (how long after the event was the source produced?) Bias/Prejudice? Subjectivity VS objectivity? Historians have an issue, the source is problematic (biased, emotions, etc) and the historian is a human writer. To guard oneself from being manipulated by bias sources, one must cross-reference. This means one must analyse a few sources and then synthesise their own conclusion. QUESTIONS WHICH ASK YOU TO COMPARE IN THE TEST OR EXAM Generally sources can have two characteristics with each other. They are either similar or they are contradictory/different with each other. One should consider the following aspects when answering these types of exam questions: What are the similarities(1) and the differences(2) between the sources? How do these sources complement each other(3)? Which of these sources provides a more accurate viewpoint on the topic(4)? QUESTIONS WHICH ASK YOU TO USE ALL THE SOURCES This is an eight mark question which comes prior to the essay. One is required to write approximately 10-15 lines;...
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...When evaluating websites for quality, there are a few main questions you have to ask to assess it correctly. For example, when comparing the websites “19 Natural Remedies for Anxiety” and “Anxiety Disorders: Attacks, Symptoms, Treatment” it’s easy to see which is the more credible source. Finding the right source is important for anyone who is researching a specific topic and when it comes to a mental illness there are many sources to stay away from. For this topic, the website “Anxiety Disorders: Attacks, Symptoms, Treatment” is the better source for a number of reasons. It has more topic specific information, with a wide variety of subtopics covering the whole illness of anxiety and all its disorders. This website also has more professional...
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...newspaper or magazine that seem to be unsubstantiated? . When I read an unsubstantiated claim in a newspaper or magazines that seem to be an unsubstantiated claim. I feel angry and sad for people who may believe these claims. I usually don’t believe it before doing a research about it. Furthermore, a lot of questions come to my mind, why the writer makes this claim without proof, or stating the source. I think that writers should not make an unsubstantiated claim about products, or any other services without backup or reliable sources. 2. How do you approach research? . I usually approach research by critical inquiry. I start by defining a challenging research questions. Next, I consider the rhetorical situation of the research such as, the audience, purpose and scope. Moreover, I begin by conducting a library and web based research. I would gather information, and evaluate a variety of reliable sources. Then, I create a research plan, and draft my paper. Overall, my approach to research is basically reading, thinking critically, gathering information, and taking notes and then evaluating them. 3. What are your biggest challenges in doing research? . My biggest challenges in doing research are research paradigms, research designs, methods, and data analysis techniques. Moreover, Finding or collecting information, and using reliable resources. I take plenty of time reading and searching, but sometimes I miss some information that’s maybe important. Another challenge is choosing...
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...When doing any kind of research accuracy of the source is most important. Using information from a source that is not accurate undermines credibility and becomes a waste of valuable time. If research is for a college class, grades will suffer if quality information is not used. I chose “Hey! I’m Strapped to this Board and Can’t Get Up!” (Merrifield & Battle, 2007). Patients frequently arrive in the ED on a back board, and the number one complaint of these people is always the discomfort of being on the board. Using criteria from Evaluating Internet Sources and Sites: a Tutorial (Sharkey, 2007) five criteria were used to determine the credibility of this article. The five criteria noted in the tutorial are accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage (Sharkey, 2007). The accuracy of the authors indicated a good knowledge of their subject. They used one citation for the article. I didn’t recognize the authors of this article, but their positions in their ED and their certification as emergency nurses indicates they have a strong knowledge of the topic. The authors’ article was published in 2007, but the reference they cited was written in 1997. However, the topic of removing patients from backboards is an age old problem in the ED, so, the information remains current. The information the authors share in their article is very useful for other facilities, and their topic was explored thoroughly. This article had pros and cons, but overall, I trust the article...
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...information on the Norse, mainly known as Vikings. Rather than evaluating this page on the Norse expansion and settlement throughout the world, looking at the specific Norse activity in the British Isles will be more effective. This page describes the invasions that the Norse people from Scandinavia done throughout the years in the British Isles, including the reasons and rulers. It also provides background of the British Isles including which languages and religions were used or practiced in a certain area. From there, like the background information, the events of expansion are listed on the page in chorological order starting in 793CE; each listing how the invasion happened, who was ruling at a particular time, and battles. The end of the page gives a brief acknowledgement of written records and archaeological evidence. At first glance this specific Wikipedia page looks excellent, but looking deeper into the pages strengths and weaknesses made its reliability fragile. Wikipedia has policies that state articles are to contain no original research, a neutral point of view, and that all of their information must be verifiable, accurate, and comprehensive. Assuming that every page follows these rules, anyone would naturally assume that the given information on a page is consistent. Analyzing how well the “Norse activity in the British Isles” page achieved these guidelines will ensure the reliability. Evaluating the neutrality of the writer can be scaled by claims or interpretations...
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...Evaluating Electronic Information Information is only good as the source. Anyone, anywhere, can put anything on the internet. The information might be true; it may also not be tru. How can we determine if the information that is given to us by these soures is legitimate? Developing the ability to evaluate information critically on the internet is important today because many people rely and depend on electronic sources of information in so many areas of their lives. Every people doesn’t want to be steered wrong in many areas so we must carefully asssess the wealth of information available. Nowadays, Internet publications and web site content can claim the same legal protection as books, newspapers and etc., that are protected by the law. For most part, infoemation on internet is easily copied which causes other resources in having copyright rules. But as a person, we must give credit to the information giver. Most of the students do this to share that the information they have searched were true so they cite the resources to give proper merit to the one that given you the informationthat is not truly your original thought. Most importantly, the ease of obtaining information from the intenet and of the publishing information on it can contribute other problems. Internet hoaxes, urban legends, and false information continue to increase because opf the internet. Using the internet introduces legal and ethical issues also such as plagiarism which is copying information from...
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...Wikipedia and its Credibility Wikipedia and its Credibility The Wikipedia is a free, online encyclopedia that lets every individual with Internet connection write and edits its articles. Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger launched their creation in 2001 giving an opportunity to all willing people to work together to develop a common resource of knowledge. Many people have different believes and ideas about Wikipedia, therefore, some tend to think of it as a credible and valid source of information, others strongly disagree. “Since all the books and articles have been chosen for publication, each one has presumably undergone some form of selection and review” (Spatt, 2011, “p.”339-340). Unfortunately, this statement is simply not enough to say that one can trust Wikipedia just because it exists. Issues with “Vandalism” In 2003 IBM researches conducted a study to find how rapidly the editors remove the false information in the articles of Wikipedia and discovered that “vandalism is usually repaired extremely quickly-so quickly that most users will never see its affects” and that Wikipedia had “surprisingly effective self-healing capabilities” (IBM, 2003, para. 3). This statement is not always true. Waldman (2004) tells the following story to disprove the above point: one blogger who goes under the name of Frozen North, made a point of deliberately making a number of minor errors on a number of entries at the start of September. He made five changes and it took at least 20 hours...
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...between the Library and the internet on which how many definition you can get from the internet and what information to go by whether that be the book answer or the internet answer. This is my tutorial on evaluating the Internet, and the advantages and disadvantages it has for me and today’s society. Most of us feel very at ease and confident using the Internet. Reason being, it doesn’t take up your time opposed to going to the librarys to find books , or look though the directory to find chronicles, articles or bulletin information, may seem to be time consuming. So why would you use those resources? What benefits would the library resources have over the Internet resource? One big advantage of resources, is the library over free Internet resources is that they’ve been considered. Books in the library and editorials in the database have been within an evaluation process that gives some assertion of credibility and accuracy. Since anyone can put no matter what on the Internet, the only assessment a website is obtainable to go through is the one that you do, determining whether or not to use it for your convenience. Let’s say I was writing an essay for my English class on a medical deficiency called Lupus. I would utilize Google to find sources of information for my term paper. The surfing would result with many returns and hits. How many hits do you commonly look through? Maybe 40 to 80? Obviously not, most of us scroll through the first few sites,...
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...E Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources |Source |What makes the source credible or what does not make it |Explain in at least two to four | | |credible? Consider the following when addressing the |sentences what information you can | | |source: |gather from this source? | | | | | | |What is the author’s affiliation to any organization | | | |related to the subject of the article? Does he or she have| | | |an ulterior motive? | | | | | | | |What is the author’s experience with the subject, | | | |including academic or professional credentials related to | | | |the subject of the source article? Does she or he have |...
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...1. Indirect quotes or paraphrasing carry the meaning of someone else’s words and uses no quotation marks. Indirect quotations and paraphrasing, etc can be considered plagiarism unless sources are properly cited. For example, The Source: Maya Angelou – “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Unacknowledged, indirect paraphrase of the above direct quote) Emotions are long felt in the brain after being felt in the heart. For instance people will never forget the feelings you made them feel, but words and actions will be forgiven and forgotten. It is also easy to overuse someone else’s ideas, however you should avoid doing so in every situation....
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...E Strategies for Gathering and Evaluating Sources |Source |What makes the source credible or what does not make it |Explain in at least two to four | | |credible? Consider the following when addressing the |sentences what information you can | | |source: |gather from this source? | | | | | | |What is the author’s affiliation to any organization | | | |related to the subject of the article? Does he or she have| | | |an ulterior motive? | | | | | | | |What is the author’s experience with the subject, | | | |including academic or professional credentials related to | | | |the subject of the source article? Does she or he have |...
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...“digital literacy” environment wherein the movement and lead by such groups as the American Library Association, the National Institute for Literacy (Kapoun, 1998; Rosen,1998; Smith, 1997), and various healthcare agencies and consumer groups (Freeman & Spyridakis, 2004), collectively had contributed resources and standards towards achieving a more formatted method of analysing a website. More usual target of these groups was to assist Internet users in developing the skills needed to critically evaluate online information. An important starting point for the digital literacy movement was the understanding that the skills needed to determine the quality or credibility of online information are largely the same as those for evaluating information found through other sources of communication (Alexander & Tate, 1999; Brandt, 1996; Fritch & Cromwell, 2001). Basically, the literature identifies five critical criteria that users should utilize in their analyses of the credibility of an Internet-based information: this ranges from accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage or scope (see Alexander & Tate, 1999; Brandt, 1996;Fritch & Cromwell, 2001; Kapoun, 1998; Meola, 2004;Scholz-Crane, 1998; Smith, 1997). Accuracy pinpoints the degree to which a Web site is free from errors, whether the information can be verified or confirmed offline, and the reliability of the information on the site. The authority of a Web site may be assessed by noting who authored the site and whether contact...
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...Steps in Writing a Research Paper Single most important skill – 3 steps: 1. Read what is in the article, book, or other source 2. Process it mentally 3. Use it in your own writing in a legitimate way Step 1. Read the article, book, or other source: * If it is a brief article, read the entire article. * If it is a web source, check the author, organization, URL for .org or .edu, and other steps for evaluating the web source as listed in Writer’s Reference, page 355. * If it is a scholarly article, use the steps in the handout “On Reading a Scholarly Article”. Step 2. Process it mentally: First Reading * Read (skim) through each source a first time for the big ideas. Take notes in the margin as you read. Note the main topics or ideas that relate to your research question. * After completing your reading, put the article aside and write a summary of the article that reflects the author’s findings or main points. * Review your margin notes from each source to find common themes or ideas. * Begin to analyze your sources to develop an outline based on the common ideas. Put aside sources that don’t help develop your paper. * Search for additional sources that relate to your outline of ideas. Step 3. Use it in your own writing in a legitimate way – Three ways to use material from a source: * Summarize – Write a few sentences or short paragraph that summarizes the main points of the article. * Paraphrase – Write...
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