WHAT ARE WEBSITES?
What is a search engine?
A search engine uses a program to search the internet to
match the keywords entered by the researcher.
Why use a search engine?
Search engines are useful for finding information on
organizations, groups, and personal web pages related to a
topic. It can be challenging to confirm the legitimacy of
information found on the internet.
REMEMBER:
Not all websites are credible.
There are specific, common attributes to credible resources.
Google searching may be simple, but is not the best means of online research.
Authoritative online databases provide the most credible resources.
There are basic skills one can learn to conduct research both with websites and online databases.
We want students to think critically about what makes a website credible and a reliable resource:
Who is the resource's author? Is there an author?
Who is the publisher of the website?
When was this resource published?
Has the resource been updated (if necessary)?
Is the resource well-written, easy to understand, and with proper spelling and grammar?
Is the resource's point of view objective?
CARRDS Defined
**Note: CARRDS is ONLY for free Internet sites, NOT for subscription databases like World Book, EBSCO, etc..
CREDIBILITY:
Who is the author? Is there an email address to contact the author (not the webmaster)? Why do you trust him or her? Example: The author of this site is a 5th grade class, and so I should use it with caution, if at all. Or, this Civil War site is by a UCLA professor of History, and it provides her email address, so I can trust it.
ACCURACY:
Based on your knowledge, does the information seem accurate? Example: Parts of this site are similar to what I already know about Mexico from my textbook, so I think I can trust the information. Or, I don’t know anything about my topic yet so I am not sure, Or, This site is different from what I learned before, so I should compare it with other sources before I use it.
RELIABILITY:
Does the site present an opinion, point of view, bias? Is this opinion clearly stated? What is it? Example: this site is an anti-smoking, anti-tobacco site. In the “about us” section it says that the purpose of the site is to teach teenagers not to smoke. I understand the opinion and it is fine for my research.
RELEVANCE:
Does this information help to answer my question? Is it in-depth? Is it too hard, too easy, or just right? Yes or no answers are fine for the first part, then rate the level of the information.
DATE:
When was the information created? Was it revised? Are these dates meaningful in terms of subject matter? Example: This site is from 2006 and is about Global Warming, so it is up to date. Or, This site is from 1999 and is about the solar system, so I think it may be too old.
SOURCES:
Does the site have a Works Cited or Bibliography? If they are links, do they still work? Yes or No answers are fine. Elaborate if needed.
OVERALL THIS SITE IS (Circle One):
Very Useful Somewhat Useful Not Good
If this is your answer,find a different site!
Being able to read the URL of a site will help you evaluate before you spend time working with it. The domain designation has information, as well as the grammar of the URL.
Indications you are on a personal page that should be scrutinized for bias, accuracy and authority.
Does the URL have a tilde: ~?
Does the URL have %?
Does the URL include a personal name?
Does the URL include words like: users, people or members?
THE FIVE W’S OF WEB SITE EVALUATION
WHO
Who wrote the pages and are they an expert?
Is a biography of the author included?
How can I find out more about the author?
WHAT
What does the author say is the purpose of the site?
What else might the author have in mind for the site?
What makes the site easy to use?
What information is included and does this
information differ from other sites?
WHEN
When was the site created?
When was the site last updated?
WHERE
Where does the information come from?
Where can I look to find out more about
the sponsor of the site?
WHY
Why is this information useful for my purpose?
Why should I use this information?
Why is this page better than another?