How critical an observer are you? Learn how to evaluate information sources by doing the following exercise.

Pick two Web sites from your assigned group (Group 1: Authority and Accuracy; Group 2: Advocacy and Objectivity; Group 3: Currency and Coverage). You will have two minutes to examine them for evidence related to the group's topic. After two minutes, we will ask you to tell the class about your evidence.

The main questions to keep in mind are:

• • Would you use this Web site for a research paper? 

  • Why or why not?

Group 1: Authority and Accuracy

Pick any two sites from the list below. What evidence can you find to determine the basis for claims made on these pages? How could you tell whether or not the information provided is accurate?

Dihydrogen Monoxide in the Dairy Industry

Feline Reactions to Bearded Men

MedlinePlus

Save the Endangered Pacific Northwest Octopus

Group 2: Advocacy and Objectivity

Pick any two sites from the list below. What evidence can you find to determine whether or not these sites are favoring a particular point of view or are taking an objective approach?

Ladies Against Women

EarthSave International

Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Historical Examination

The King Center Martin Luther King, Jr.

Group 3: Currency and Coverage

Pick any two sites from the list below. What evidence can you find to determine how up to date these pages are and whether or not they cover their topics as completely as they claim?

CNN

Internet Movie Database (IMDb.com)

Auto-by-Tel

Originally created by UCLA College Library librarians, 1998. Last update: 16 Apr 2018