Transcript Slide 1
RADCAB Let’s evaluate information! Am I wasting my time looking at this? Does this have anything to do with what I’m doing? Am I on the right track to find what I’m looking for? Am I using the right search terms? Should I be looking at this? Does this information make me feel uncomfortable or “weird”? If my Grandma walked in and saw this, what would she think? Does this have anything to do with what I’m doing? How much information do I need? Is this information really helpful, or is it “fluff”? LOOK AT THE DETAILS! Are there links to help me find out more information? Is there a search feature? Did the author cite sources? Is the page easy-to-use, or confusing? “How much information do I need?” is a valuable question to ask early in the research process. The answer should help you determine where to look for information and when you can stop looking. Check the information source for detail. Does the information source offer you the depth of coverage you need for your assignment? There are specific details to look for in a website that can help the researcher determine the site's usefulness. Using these details will help you evaluate a website for its quality of construction, content, and depth of coverage. “RADCAB” ™ A mnemonic acronym for information evaluation Created by Karen M. Christensson, M.S. Library Media Education What are the details? Site map Page organization: titles, headings, and subtitles Works cited pages External links Internal search engine Interactive, graphic elements Design appeal How are they useful? Navigation and scope Navigation and evidence of quality construction Credit to information sources used Additional information sources Quick information retrieval Visual aids and interface interaction Easy and pleasant to use “RADCAB” ™ A mnemonic acronym for information evaluation Created by Karen M. Christensson, M.S. Library Media Education How old is this information? Is there newer, better information out there on my topic? Do I want the newest “best” information available ? When was the page written or last updated? Who wrote this information? What are their qualifications? Are they an expert? Says who? Who are they to say? I don’t want to look like a fool for using bad information! Is there an email address so I can ask questions? Is the information accurate and believable? Why was this information written? Is this written to try and sell me something? Convince me of something? Inform me of something? Is this just a “fun” website? Is the author in favor or against my topic? LOOK FOR CLUES! Website name/website suffix Advertising (if any) Bias isn’t always bad…when you know it’s bias! Uniform Resource Locator • • • • • • • • Com – commercial organization/business Edu – College or University (SC.edu) Org – non-profit organization (schools) Gov – US Government or organization Net – Network provider (Earthlink.net) Mil – US Military (Army,Navy,Marines,etc) Biz – commercial Eu – websites in European Union • And many others! Bibliography • Beck, Susan A. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, or, why it's a good idea to evaluate web resources." New Mexico State University Library Instruction Program. 09 Aug. 2007. New Mexico State University. 18 Jan 2008 <http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html>. • Christensson, Karen. "RADCAB- Your Vehicle for Information Evaluation." 22 Oct. 2007. RADCAB.com. 17 Jan. 2008 <http://www.radcab.com>. • O'Neill, Ann B.. "Trash or Treasure? How to Evaluate Internet Resources." Information Literacy Skills used in BCPS Research Modules. 16 Oct. 2002. Baltimore County Public Library. 18 Jan. 2007 <http://www.bcpl.net/~sullivan/modules/tips/eval.html>.