Searching - Don't Take Notes Yet

First you need to find the best sources of information to take notes from. In this stage, you'll create a list of possible sources with a rating identifying which sources are the best.

Note: the diagrams below have pop-up explanations (when you mouse-over them) which work best in Internet Explorer.

Evaluate the Sources

Every source needs to be evaluated to see if it is useful for your particular project. Hold your mouse over the diagram below for more infomation.

Look for sources that answer your focus question An article from 1980 is okay for World War 1 but not Computer Networks Record sites that have graphics which you can use in your final project You need to summarize and write things in your own words, so if you can understand it - don't use it Someone's opinion could be very skewed. Look for the facts, then make your own opinions. Give each source a score out of 5 and make notes on what was good or bad. Give each source a score out of 5 and make notes on what was good or bad.

Internet Sources - Credibility (Trust)

Since anyone can post whatever they want on the Internet (including Wikipedia), you need to check a few more things to determine if you can trust the information. Hold your mouse over the diagram below for more infomation.

Wikipedia - Credibility

Since anyone can edit or change articles posted on Wikipedia, you'll need to determine how accurate the information is before using it in your project. Using the what links here tool on the left and the History tab at the top, you will look for evidence that other people consider this information trustworthy. Hold your mouse over the diagram below for more information.

Look on the left side for the "who links here" tool. Are there other articles that refer to this one? If the author of this article lists his or her sources? The more sources that are listed, the more trustworthy it is. Use the History tab at the top of the page to determine how old the article is - the older the better, because that means that more people have had a chance to look at it and accept or edit the information. Using the History tab again, take a look at how many times the page has been changed. Then compare the most recent (current) version with one of the older versions. If there have not been major changes, it means that other people agree with the information and you can trust it. Wikipedia is an editable source that has been used for hoaxes and bias information. But that information usually doesn't stay up for long. Do some homework and determine if other people trust the information that's posted. If they do, so can you. If malicious things have been done to this page in the past, or people have argued about the correct content, you don't want to use it Anyone can post information on the web. Can you trust this Internet source? In Google, type link: then the address. For example type in -- link: www.dell.com If a list of references is given, it usually means the author can be trusted. Is the author's name anywhere on the site? If it is - Google their name to see who they are. Use www.whois.net to determine who owns the site, then Google them to see who they are. There are some fake sites on the web that look like the real thing. The fake sites usually won't have a copyright. Government, Military and Educational (University) sites are more trustworthy than others. Give each site a rating out of 6 and make notes of which parts were good or bad. Give each site a rating out of 6 and make notes of which parts were good or bad.

Next > List the Possible Sources

Last updated: April 25, 2008