Smartcopying. Evaluating Internet Information. "dot com" "dot gov" — suffixes and country codes explained Any information that you use to support ideas and arguments in a research paper should be given some scrutiny.
Printed materials that are collected in a library go through an evaluative process as librarians select them to include in their collections. There is also an evaluation of Web sites that are included in search directories, such as Yahoo! , at least to the extent of classifying and placing sites into a categorization scheme. However, sites harvested by "spiders" or "robots" for search engines don't go through any evaluative process.
There are no real restrictions or editorial processes for publishing information on the Web, beyond some basic knowledge of Web page creation and access to a hosting computer. Domain suffix The term "dot.com" has become a ubiquitous phrase in the English language. The domain suffix provides you with a clue about the purpose or audience of a Web site. Internet resource evaluation. You do not have javascript enabled.
In order to use this site effectively you will need to enable Javascript. The Internet is only one source of information. What it holds is not structured or organized; searching can be very time-consuming. Try other sources first such as books published by reputable academic publishers and articles in refereed (peer-reviewed) journals. Many of these books and journals are now available online. Use the same evaluation techniques for Internet sources as you would for a book or article. Be aware…. Anyone can publish on the Internet. Indicators of quality, if present An identifiable author Type of information Date Credentials Scope Bibliography Writing style Purpose of web page Language used How to cite internet sources Follow the style recommended by your School or lecturer.
You will usually need ~ Some useful internet sites. Google and Google Scholar. Evaluating Information Resources. You do not have javascript enabled.
In order to use this site effectively you will need to enable Javascript. Learning how to critically evaluate information resources is an essential skill for students undertaking academic research. This guide is a starting point for evaluating information resources. The following evaluation techniques apply to both internet resources and more traditional formats such as journals, newspapers, magazines and books.
It is necessary that you cite correctly any information sources that you use. How did you find the information? Where you found the information will help you determine its usefulness. Surfing the web, e.g. What is the coverage and relevance? The depth of coverage is a good indication of the usefulness of information. Giving facts that you already know are correct? Who is the intended audience? Determining the intended audience will help decide the usefulness of the information. Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose of the information?
Database Searching. Having trouble searching the databases?
Try some of these tips. Tip 1. Choose Your Search Terms Carefully Think carefully about the terms that you type into the search box. These are common mistakes: Too many search terms: If you type too many words, you may retrieve no references, or very few references. Tip 2. The UQ Library subscribes to hundreds of databases, and there are further databases that are available free on the web. The Databases tab on the UQ Library homepage will allow you to select databases by subject. The Summon tab on the UQ Library homepage will allow you to search simultaneously across many databases. Tip 3. Some databases search the full text of the references that they contain. If you are searching a full-text database, you will be able to search on very specific terms. If you are searching a database that only has summaries (abstracts) of the references, you may have to use fewer terms and less specific terms.
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