Research Online Credibility

Which of the following websites is trustworthy for credible sources?

• Facebook

• The Smithsonian

• Twitter

• Wikipedia

Which of the following are credible sources?

• A blog

• Nasa

• A personal Journal

• The Library of Congress

• A scientific journal

Which of the following are usually linked to credible sites?

• .com

• .gov

• .biz

• .edu

• .org

Which of the following is not important in assessing the credibility of a website?

• Author

• Date

• Pictures

• Sources

Why is the date on a source important?

• Old writing is not relevant to current research

• When something was written can change how we interpret its meaning

• Older scientific papers may be outdated; some topics research that is frequently updated

• Old writers aren't credible because they couldn't fact-check on the internet

• Newer sources haven't had time to be tested and may not be accurate

What should you look at when evaluating the credibility of the author?

• Has the author published a lot

• Does the author have a degree

• Is the author a professional or expert on the topic

• Does the author make a lot of money

Authors should:

• Share sources so readers can check the research themselves

• Not share sources so that other people can't use them

• Share sources only if they agree with them, to back up the authors claims

• Only share sources they disagree with so readers can see how wrong the sources are

You want to prove that Apple is better than Microsoft. Which sources should you use?

• The Apple website, they will know why they are the best!

• The Microsoft website, if you can use their own words to prove they are worse than you are obviously right

• A blog from someone who loves Apple as much as you do

• A website known for vetting, testing, and comparing technology without bias

You want to use a website you found that agrees with your stance on the paper. The author writes a lot on the topic and doesn't seem biased, but they have a ton of typos! Should you use them as a source?

• Yes, everyone makes mistakes

• Yes, he must be too busy to spell-check

• No, reliable sources should have other people to check work and not let many mistakes slip past

• No, you shouldn't trust anyone whose spelling is worse than yours

Which of the following is a good indication of a credible website?

• It is popular, everyone uses it!

• It makes a ton of money

• It clearly states the author, publisher, and works sited

• It looks visually pleasing and runs really well