What Is a Scholarly Website?

Is the Website Trustworthy?

Why is this site here?

Why do I have free access to this site?

Why do the creators want me to see this site?

Is It Trustworthy?

Who sponsors this site?

Is the site attempting to sell. . . .

a product?

promote an idea?

advocate a political agenda?

Who’s Behind the Website?

Who pays for the site?

Who maintains the site?

Who is the content provider?

Who Is Behind the Website?

Check to see if site provides an identifying link:

“About Us”

“Who We Are”

“Mission Statement”

Example: http://www.aclu.org

Evaluating Web Content

Who is the Content Provider?

Check credentials of author (content provider):

Listed in library databases?

Academic Search Elite

Discussed on the Internet?

Google the author’s name

Look to the Evidence

How can I trust what the author tells me?

.

Verification

• Prove the truth of a claim

• Confirm the accuracy of a statistic or fact

Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment#_note-0

Unsupported statements

In 2005, according to Ebreastaug.com, Americans spent $7.7 billion on cosmetic surgery.

Supported Statements

Sarwer, D. “Physical Appearance & Cosmetic Medical Treatments: Socio-Cultural Influences.”Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology

2 (2006): 29-39. (33)

Supported Statements

In 2005, Americans spent approximately $8 billion on surgeons’ fees for cosmetic medical treatments (ASAPS, 2006).

Supported Statements

Works Cited

American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank—2005 statistics. New York, NY: American Society

for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery: 2006.

Summary

• Why was this site launched?

• Who is behind this site?

• Is the content cited by reliable evidence?

• http://www.aecf.org/

• http://www.csicop.org/

• http://www.psychicscientificinvestigators.com/

• http://www.psychics.co.uk/psychicpets/

Identify the Sponsor

Truncate the URL to the domain name:

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~bittnera/

Types of Web Sites

•Personal (.com, .edu, .net)

•Commercial (.com, .org)

•Advocacy (.org, .com)

•Non-profits (.org, .edu)

•Scholarly/educational (.edu, org)

•Popular press (.com, .org)

•Proprietary (.com, .edu, .org, .net)

•Governmental (.gov, .mil)