Selecting Evaluating and Using Sources credible and notsocredible

Selecting, Evaluating and Using Sources credible and not-so-credible print and internet primary and secondary

What is a Credible Source? • Trustworthy Author: published, credentials (academic or otherwise) • Cross Reference: Information agrees with other sources or addresses any disagreements adequately • Citations are provided • Timely: Reasonably recent or updated • Purpose: Clearly asserted (entertain, inform, etc. ) w/o hidden intentions • Source is thorough and examines issue carefully

Examples of Credible Sources • • • Government agencies (CDC, FDA) Educational institutions (MSU, U of M) Medical facilities (Mayo Clinic) Non-profit organizations (but be careful!) Other?

Examples of Less-Credible Sources Personal websites Blogs Commercial websites (pharmaceuticals, etc) Non-profit organizations (can be affiliated with political, religious, or other organizations that influence opinions) • Lobbying groups (NRA, NORML – though they may cite valid research, their biases will always be apparent in how that research is filtered) • Entertainment sources • Other? • •

Print and Internet Sources • What makes print sources credible? – Textbooks • Reviewed by many people with credentials • Information expected to last at least a few years before becoming outdated – Journals • Usually well-controlled • Usually peer-reviewed – Newspapers & Magazines • • Usually fact-checked May contain errors, depending on sources & editors May be sensationalist, depending on reputation & spin A newspaper’s reputation is often earned – trust the New York Times before you trust the National Enquirer

Print and Internet Sources • What makes Internet sources credible? – Affiliation • Educational institutions and government agencies are generally the most credible (. edu, . gov) • Organizations (. org) may be credible • Commercial (. com) websites are often not credible – Credentials of author – Citations – Internet sources vary widely, so carefully evaluate each source individually.

Primary & Secondary Research • Secondary Research: – Reading books, magazines, websites, etc written by others • Primary Research: – – Conducting interviews Reading historical documents (diaries, letters, records, etc) Conducting experiments Conducting surveys Both primary and secondary research can be valid or invalid, credible or not, depending upon the methods used.

Another way to think about Primary and Secondary research Letters, records, diaries, behavior, opinion, objects, relationships, information, trends, conflicts, other? Reality 1 This is why credibility matters! Your sources are filtering reality for you! 2 Primary Researcher • Could be you • Could be an expert in the field • Could be a journalist Secondary Researcher • Could be you • Could be a journalist • Could be an expert compiling others’ information

Why should you care about credibility? • Because you want to establish your own credibility and prove your expertise. – You have not yet become an expert in your field – You have not done primary research – You may establish your own expertise by citing credible sources that support your viewpoint • Because if you don’t know how to evaluate others’ credibility, you are easily manipulated and misled.

Basic Research Steps 1. Beginning Research: “Casting a wide net” 2. Narrowing Focus/Topic 3. Finding print & online sources 4. Planning/Organizing 5. Re-researching to fill information gaps 6. Synthesizing all research into final product 7. Rehearsing final product 8. Filling in any gaps w/ analysis, more/different research, and engaging elements 9. PRESENT!!! *KEEP TRACK OF SOURCES THROUGHOUT*

What to do Next • In the library today, you will go to my Blog and open “Evaluating Sources and Keyword Search”. Access the documents and/or websites that it gives you on this document.

• You may work with a partner to do the source credibility activity in the library today. Follow the directions on the document. Remember that research is WORK, and you can’t give up too easily.