Information Literacy Assignment:
Web Searching and Evaluation

Task:

Find several web pages or sites (specified in number by your instructor) related to your writing or research assignment.  Write a brief (two paragraph) evaluation of each site, and be sure to cite the pages in an appropriate style. Print and submit the first page of each site.

Consider the following essential questions to help with your critical evaluation process:

  • Who created the web site? What are their qualifications and credentials? Does the site have a profit motive? Does a profit motive impact the content?

  • What’s the purpose of your site? What types of information are available on this site? What does a user need to know to successfully navigate through/find the information within the site?

  • Is the information presented from a biased point of view? What type of language does the site use (scholarly, informal, inflammatory, etc.)? How current is the information on the site?

  • What are the strengths of the site? What are its weaknesses?

  • Would you choose to use information from this site in your research paper? Why or why not?

Purpose:

  • Helps students develop skills in web searching.

  • Encourages students to develop skills for critically evaluating quality of web resources.

  • Provides practice in using a bibliographic citation style.

To complete this assignment, it will be helpful to review the following information:

 

Alternate Task: In-Class Small Student Group Assignment

Locate the following web resources:

Group One:

The Nutrition Source
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

Group Two:

Global Warming Information
http://www.globalwarming.org/

Group Three:

WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/

Group Four:

U. S. Department of Defense
http://www.defenselink.mil/


 Spend 15 minutes exploring your assigned website with your small student group in order to gather information and describe the site to the rest of your classmates.  At the end of the 15 minutes, you and your partners will report your findings in a brief (5 minute) presentation to the class.

Remember to consider the essential questions above to help with your critical evaluation process.

 

Questions?

Confused about evaluating web information?  Ask a librarian for help at the Research Services Desk (251-6111).

 

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This page created by Janet Ferguson. Last updated 27 September 2007. Comments to the Library Web Team.

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