Evaluating Online Sources and Credibility

The video tutorial guides viewers on how to evaluate various sources, including scholarly, popular, and internet sources, by examining the author, audience, review process, currency, and perspective. It emphasizes the importance of domain credibility and provides a practical example using a search on Martin Luther King. The video concludes with a reminder of the critical evaluation process necessary for scholarly work.

What is the main goal of the Stanford Nerd Squirrel in the video?

• To write a book

• To create a website

• To learn how to evaluate sources critically

• To become a librarian

Which of the following is NOT a step in evaluating sources mentioned in the video?

• Identifying the audience

• Assessing the review process

• Checking the author's credibility

• Reviewing the source's length

Why is it important to know who the author is speaking to?

• To find out the publication date

• To know the author's background

• To understand the level of expertise required

• To determine the language used

What does the video suggest about the currency of a source?

• Currency is not important

• The recency of a source may or may not matter

• Older sources are always better

• Newer sources are always better

What should you do if a source has a bias or perspective?

• Acknowledge its bias or perspective

• Ignore the bias

• Avoid using it completely

• Rewrite the information

Which domain is generally considered the most trustworthy?

• .net

• .edu

• .org

• .com

What is a giveaway that a website might be a personal site?

• A .gov domain

• A professional design

• A tilde (~) in the address bar

• A .edu domain

Which database did Nerd Squirrel use to find scholarly books on Martin Luther King?

• Google Scholar

• ProQuest

• Searchworks

• JSTOR

What should you do to verify the credibility of an organization behind a .org site?

• Trust the About page

• Check the number of visitors

• Look at the design of the site

• Check the Whois record

What is the final lesson Nerd Squirrel learns about finding reputable sources online?

• It is always easy

• It is unnecessary

• It can be done quickly

• It requires critical evaluation