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BIO 116: The Brain, from Molecules to the Mind (Cremins): Websites

Websites

Evaluating Sources

When looking at a source, ask yourself...

WHAT is the information?

  • Can you identify the type of information source you have found?
  • What domain is it?
    • .gov  - Government site
    • .edu  - Educational site (college, university)
    • .org  - Organization
    • . com – Commercial 

 

WHY is the information written?  

  • What is the purpose of the information source?
  • Who is the intended audience?
  • Is it meant to inform?
  • To persuade?
  • To teach?
  • To report the findings of some original research?
  • To entertain?

 

HOW is the information written?

  • How does it compare to other items you have found?
  • What are the research methods, if any, employed in the source?
  • Does the author cite other research?
  • Is it a blog? Opinion?
  • Have other scholars cited the information source?
  • Does the work succeed?
  • How is it useful to me or others?

 

WHO wrote it?

  • Who is the author?
  • What are the author’s credentials?
  • What are the author’s affiliations?
  • What are the author’s goals & objectives?

 

WHEN was it written?

  • When the information was created or last updated?
  • Is the date important for the timeliness of the content?
  • Is the information outdated?
  • Has newer information surfaced to discredit this?