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When you're writing a research paper, it's easy to think that the internet has all the answers. You might be imagining the internet as a glorious, glowing shrine to human knowledge and communication, with a little chorus of angels in the background singing Hallelujah.
Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but the internet is not quite the barrel of puppies and unicorns you've been led to believe. The internet is a glorious place, but it's also a dangerous and icky pit of misinformation, propaganda, and straight-up lies. Sending somebody onto the internet to research, without giving the tools to evaluate what they're reading, is kind of like sending somebody to climb Mt. Everest in swim trunks and flippers. It's just not right, even if it's a little bit funny.
Am I taking this analogy too far? It feels like I'm taking this too far. Okay, I'm done. (Source)
So in this lesson, we're going to cover some of the techniques and questions you can use to evaluate sources you find online. First we'll cover some rules that apply to potential sources in general, and then we'll get into the nitty-gritty with digital research and online sources. Once you've built up your mental biceps, I'm going to send you to climb Everest (with some nice sturdy boots and an oxygen tank, this time). Don't worry—just think of me as your Sherpa guide.
THE UNTRUSTWORTHY INTERNETS: FINDING ACADEMIC SOURCES
THE UNTRUSTWORTHY INTERNETS: FINDING ACADEMIC SOURCES
We've learned how to own Google, how to get search results that aren't Wikipedia or Historyrocks.com, and how to find some fancy sounding books. So...what's the point of all that? Well, nobody does research in order to find sketchy information; we do research so that we can find information that's a) accurate and b) thought through well. Determining which information hits these standards, though—that's the tricky part.
So, when you're doing research in an academic setting (or, really, any setting where the accuracy of the information matters, which is, uh, always), the most crucial steps is evaluating your sources to make sure they're legitimate, academic resources. Now, what makes something academic? You'll want to look for:
Materials written by recognized experts in their field. Your Uncle Steve might have 15 years of experience in HVAC repair, but that doesn't make him an expert in mechanical engineering. An expert in a subject generally has multiple degrees in their field.
Materials published by a respected entity. Basically, that just means that some dude's blog on Civil War reenactment is nowhere near as trustworthy as something published by National Geographic, History.com, or the Smithsonian. Those are all big organizations with rigorous fact-checking procedures. There are also academic publishers, like journals or university websites, that might be lesser-known but still totally legit.
Materials which are reasonably recent, and meet the above criteria. That doesn't mean that a source published in 2022 is automatically more reliable than a source published in 1996, but it does mean that you shouldn't rely on a biology textbook from the 1950s. Because, um, they didn't really figure out what DNA looked like until the end of the decade.
Primary source materials. Primary sources are firsthand accounts written at the time you’re studying by an actual witness, technically speaking. The internet is a wonderful source for historical primary sources, and there are even some cases where modern websites themselves could be primary sources. If you were writing a paper on current-day Civil War re-enactors, then you could use that dude's blog as a primary source. But there’s a whole lot more to using primary sources that we can't cover here. Below, you'll find a nice site with some tips for evaluating primary sources, just in case you're interested (which you should be). Yes, you're expected to find some primary sources for ye olde paper. Preferably at least two.
DIGITAL SOURCES ARE DIFFERENT, BUT NOT THAT DIFFERENT
DIGITAL SOURCES ARE DIFFERENT, BUT NOT THAT DIFFERENT
Before we get into the more specific standards you have to use for online research, I want to make something crystal clear: online sources require a careful process of evaluation and verification, but so do print sources. Every single printed word you read, other than the ingredients list for salted peanuts (PEANUTS, SALT) has a purpose and a bias. It's your job as a researcher to understand the full context of what you're reading, even if it's in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Now that that's out of the way, there are still special rules for evaluating online sources. Most importantly, the way online materials are published can make it much more difficult to find the important bits of specific information that you need, including the author, publisher, date, and citations. That's not to say there aren't amazing sources out there on the interwebs waiting to be discovered, but it's kind of a minefield. If you Google Civil War history, you'll get curated primary source collections from the Smithsonian Museum right next to blog posts written by Confederate reenactors. These two sources were not created equal.
So, what kinds of information are you looking for, to verify a website? There are tons of good sites out there to help you figure it out, but check out this checklist below. Note that not every source is going to meet every criterion, but these are some good questions to ask.
You might be feeling a little…panicked. How, in the name of good education, are you going to find sources that meet all those criteria? A magic locator spell? It's not easy, no matter how clever your search terms are. But here are a few databases that usually only include high-quality, peer-reviewed material. Keep them in mind (even, gasp, write them down) for later:
Directory of Open Access Journals. These guys let you search for academic journals and articles that aren't hidden behind nasty pay walls (they're all free).
Google Scholar. This is a Google database that tries to limit its findings to academic sources. It works well, except that not all the articles are accessible for free.
JSTOR. This guy is a biggie. Log in with Google to get limited access (which is mostly all you need as while you're in high school).
Galileo. Guess what? If you live in Georgia, you get access to this baby! Here's how to access it:
Register for a free PINES e-card below, copy your account number, and login with your password by clicking on "My Account." Then, click on GALILEO Virtual Library!
There's one last rule I want to add to the rules and sites I mentioned: think critically. In other words, when you're evaluating websites, you have to pay close attention and use your noggin.
You know how you might be inclined to trust a .org site more than a .com site? Here's a mindblowing example for you: the official website for the nonprofit dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy is called The King Center. It's well-researched, highly respected, and totally legit. But there's another site (which we do not advise you to visit) that can be found at www.martinlutherking.org. Looks like a legit URL, right? Pretty official? Well, it's run by a white supremacist group with the express intention of disseminating false information about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Don't go to the interwebs without a healthy sense of suspicion. And maybe a hazmat suit.
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