WEBSITE OR DATABASE?

WHY SHOULD WE USE THESE?WHEN SHOULD WE USE THESE?

Websites

We can use websites to find information on any subject.

There are millions of websites to give us information on the subject that we’re interested in.

We can find facts, opinions or false information on a subject, which is why there are so many websites available.

If we’re looking for facts, how can we be sure that a website is reliable?* I look for a copyright date and who owns or wrote the website. You

can usually find these right at the top of a website page or the bottom.

Here is an example of the top of a web page that there is no copyright. The bottom of the page didn’t have one either, so this wouldn’t be reliable unless I was looking for someone’s opinion of something.

This is an example from the bottom of a web page. I see a copyright date AND I also see who made the website. I know I can trust a university to be reliable.

Some websites may have a copyright date, but be written by Bob Smith and since he is a random person, I wouldn’t know if the website is reliable or not. I would then try to find a different website to use.

Since anyone can create a “.com” website, there are a few hints to knowing if a website is reliable or not by just looking at the address.

These are just a few examples of when I know that this is a trusted website.

Databases

Databases also help us find information on any subject.

When you search using a database, you have more search options to help narrow down your results .

Databases also don’t show everything on a topic like advertisements that have the subject you’re searching for. They help to weed that out.

WEBSITE OR DATABASE?

Both can be helpful depending on your purpose. If you use a website and you’re looking for facts, be sure to look for a copyright date and who wrote or owns it.