Transcript Slide 1

Evaluating Online Resources
Walden University Library
• Your hosts
– Sommer Berg
– Michelle Hajder
GoToWebinar Control Panel
3
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources
• Popular, Trade and Peer-Reviewed
• Identifying Peer-Reviewed Sources
• Evaluating internet sources
4
Assertion / Thesis
Evidence / Sources
5
6
7
8
Primary sources
“Primary sources contain the original information and are
usually the place where the original information first
appears…”
– Univ. of Minnesota Libraries
“They are from the time period involved and have not been
filtered through interpretation or evaluation. Primary
sources are original materials on which other research
is based…”
– Univ. of Washington Libraries
9
Primary sources
• Primary sources = original theories & research
• Could be any format!
– Books or essays outlining a new theory or model
– Journal article presenting new research
– Conference papers? Reports? Statistics?
• How can you identify primary? Look at the
content
1
0
Secondary sources
• “Secondary sources are less easily defined
than primary sources. Generally, they are
accounts written after the fact with the benefit of
hindsight. They are interpretations and
evaluations of primary sources.
Secondary sources are not evidence, but
rather commentary on and discussion of
evidence.” – University of Washington Libraries
11
Secondary sources - examples
•
•
•
•
1
2
Textbooks
Literature reviews
Encyclopedias
Some reports and analyses
Secondary Sources
• When to use secondary sources?
– Can help you get an overview of the topic
– Can help you get ideas for new research
directions
– Can direct you to primary sources
1
3
Scholarly vs. Popular
Scholarly
1
4
Popular
Books & eBooks
• eBooks are just digitized print books
• Broad and foundational coverage of a
topic
• Books have a longer publishing cycle, so
they aren’t a source to consult for trends
• Books are not peer reviewed, but go
through an editorial process
Periodicals
• Published periodically:
– Popular Magazines & Newspapers: Every
day, week, month
– Trade Journals: weekly or monthly
– Peer Reviewed Journals: monthly, quarterly,
semi-annually
Popular Magazines &
Newspapers
• General reading level
• Rarely cites sources
• Purpose of the article is to
inform, entertain, or present an
opinion
• Audience: non-professionals
• Due to frequency of publication,
usually the first to report about a
trend or news story.
Trade Journals
• Uses jargon of the industry
• Occasionally cite sources
• Purpose of the article is to report
industry trends, practical advice,
and industry news
• Audience: professionals in a
specific industry.
Peer Reviewed Journals
• Uses jargon of the discipline
• Extensive footnotes/references at
the end of the article
• Purpose of the article is to
publish the results of research
• Audience: scholars, researchers,
professionals, students
• Graphics are usually statistical
illustrations, in black-and-white
The Peer Review Process
• Any source that undergoes a specific
process of being reviewed by an editorial
board of experts in the field before the
source is accepted for publication
• Referred to as Peer-Reviewed, Refereed,
and Scholarly
• Peer review process takes time, current
events will take years to show up in the
peer-reviewed literature
2
0
Finding peer-reviewed journals
• Checking a box in the library databases
• Ulrich’s periodicals directory
• Information from the publishers – Google
the journal title to find their website
2
1
Are only peer-reviewed articles
scholarly?
What about…
• Statistics?
• Government reports?
• Dissertations?
• Conference papers?
• Interviews, field work…???
2
2
Different sources…
…for different purposes.
• When would you consult:
– Popular sources?
– Trade publications?
– Reference Materials?
– Primary sources?
– Websites….
2
3
“I got it off the internet”
….What does that really mean?
2
4
What’s on the internet?
• Search engines
• Blogs (journals,
personal writing)
• News / news feeds
• Personal sites
• Entertainment sites
• Commercial sites
• Product reviews
2
5
•
•
•
•
•
•
Discussion forums
Artistic/creative writing sites
Library databases
Online journals
E-books
Government agency
websites
• Academic websites
2
6
Understanding Web Addresses
• Root of a web address has two main components
• Name of the website
• Domain designation
• Only .gov domains are regulated and indicate you are
viewing a government website
• Anyone can buy a website domain with .com or .org
• While .edu is only used for education institutions, many
allow students to post content.
Government Websites .gov
• City, county, state, and federal statistics and
reports can be found on .gov websites.
• Laws/Statutes, regulations, and codes
• Government agencies
• Find government information using the
following:
– http://www.google.com/unclesam
– http://www.usa.gov/
Evaluating in Context
The 3 “C”s
• Compare
• Corroborate
• Context
• Read more about this evaluative approach in Meola, Marc (2004).
"Chucking the Checklist: A Contextual Approach to Teaching
Undergraduates Web-Site Evaluation." Portal 4(3) pp.331-344.
Project MUSE.
Compare
• The first step when
evaluating a source
• Find an additional source
on the same topic and
compare the information.
• If you spot differences, then
you’ll need to investigate
further.
Corroborate
• The next step is to find and
compare your information to
multiple sources.
• This step is important in case
the 2 compared sources were
based on the same research.
• Corroborating will strengthen
your thesis by increasing your
reference points.
Context
• The final step is to research
the context of the information.
• Research the following:
– What research is currently being
published in the field?
– What is the mainstream theory
or understanding of the topic?
– Are there other theories or
debates about the topic?
The True but Little Known
Facts about Women and AIDS
• If you can’t verify the information in
multiple places (corroborate), then it’s
probably bunk.
• http://147.129.226.1/library/research/AIDS
FACTS.htm
Review
• Different types of resources
• Different uses for different sources
• Examine everything!
– What makes this piece of information
credible?
– Does it provide strong support for my
research?
3
4
Questions?
Thank you!
ASK – A – LIBRARIAN
800-930-0914