Evaluating Sources
You may have noticed that the tabs above do not include information on googling your topic for information aside from seeing what's out there (step 2 of the research process). The free web is chock full of great information, but it can be difficult to sift through the sheer amount of results to find meaningful information that is reliable, accurate, and top quality. For that reason, Urban teachers and I want you to use primarily library sources for this project. If you do google, be aware that you'll need to evaluate your sources with a more keen lens than you would with library sources.
Below are a few hints to becoming a more critical researcher, especially when you are searching the free web.
Developing Habits
CRAAP
Use CRAAP detection to evaluate sources
- Currency: When was it written?
- Relevance: Does it answer questions you need answered?
- Authority: Is the author or creator an expert in the field? Is there an author listed?
- Accuracy: Is it accurate? Do the authors cite their sources?
- Purpose: What is the purpose of the site?
Advanced Searcing
Google can offer you, the researcher, a lot more than a simple results list based on a keyword search.
The basic Google search assumes AND between each word.
- For example, Kennedy Cuban Missile Crisis will find sites with all four words. Use OR if you want either of two terms e.g., Kennedy OR Cuban Missile Crisis.
- Use quotes to search words as a phrase, e.g., "Cuban Missile Crisis"
- Use minus sign to eliminate undesirable words, e.g., Kennedy -Robert
Use site to find certain types of sites, e.g., site: gov or site: edu
Be careful: many .edu sites are written by students! Determine authority before reading a .edu source.
Use filetype to find specific formats, e.g., filtetype: pdf or filetype: doc
Use intitle to find sites where words are in title of the page, e.g., intitle: google search tips
This may help you find more relevant results
Use the advanced search to narrow your results using the above tips and more and get better results!
How to do it: click on the gear on the right side of the results page.