Evaluating Online Sources

For your English class, you need to write a paper about the poet Edgar Allan Poe. You want to begin by doing research on the Web. Which site is likely to be a reliable source?

• A student's poetry blog

• A site run by Edgar Allan Poe fans

• An online encyclopedia of poetry

• Your local newspaper Web site

You are reading a Web site on poets and their writings. You have found information about Edgar Allan Poe and his poems. Now, you want to find out what other people thought about Poe's poetry. Under which heading should you look to find the information you need?

• Selected Poems

• Reviews of Poe's Poetry

• Inspiration for Writing

• Edgar Allan Poe's Life

On a Web site, the primary purpose of text links is to

• Add interest to the site

• Allow users to jump to related content

• Indicate misspelled words

• Point out topics not found on the Web

You want to learn more about how to throw a slider. You've been practicing and following your coach's advice, but your pitch is still too wild. Your coach gave you the Web address of a site with some helpful information and it has a search field that will allow you to search for specific information. Which keywords should you use to find useful tips?

• Slider pitching techniques

• Throwing wild

• Baseball advice

• Pitching Instructions

You have always wanted to learn to play the piano, but you are too busy with school and volunteer work to take lessons every week. Your friend told you about a Web site that offers videos of basic piano lessons. However, she could not remember the correct URL. What's the best way for you to find the site?

• Look up "piano lesson videos" in a search engine

• Look up "pianos" in a search engine

• Search for piano lessons on a popular music video site

• Select the links on a site that allows music downloads