Like any good University student, when I need to research a specific topic, I go one of two ways:
1. Do I need papers to support information? I'll do a search on our library database.
2. Do I need general information? I'll go to Google.
The Internet is a source of boundless resources that we have access to in seconds. Whether we are looking for generic information, graphics, data, figures, or a program that puts them all together, it is there for us.
One of the biggest problems I have with using the Internet to find information is actually the fact that it is boundless. Not only do searches get millions of hits from pages that the site thinks are related, but these can be pages from anyone with a computer, anywhere around the world. How do I know which site contains the specific information I'm looking for, at a level that I can understand, and with enough depth that I can use it in University? The best tool I've found is simply limiting my searches. Google has a fabulous option called "Advanced Search" which allows you to pick out specific phrases that you want in you search, verbatim or anywhere within, as well as phrases that you'd like to leave out. You can also choose the reading level of the site, the language it is presented in, recency of updates, file types, and sites within a particular domain, or similar to a site you already know of. Narrowing it down makes a lot of difference, as does the ability to tell if a site is trustworthy. Here is where authenticity comes in.
Authenticity poses the question, "Is the information I'm reading correct?" So, of those millions of resources that our advanced search has narrowed down to 400, how do we start to figure out which sites are going to be beneficial to us - which sites contain correct information that we can actually use? There are a lot of little factors that play into authenticity of Internet sources. First, look at where the site is coming from, or who the author is. Is this individual a scholar in his or her field, or did they just condense the _____________-for-Dummies of what it is you're looking for? Next, look at the information itself. Are there facts that stand out that you know are true and/or false? If you are looking for political or controversial information, are both sides represented, or is there a definite bias? Is the site up to date? Can you easily access the information you need within the site itself? All of these factors help us to know whether or not we are using an authentic site.
I actually did my online presentation on authenticity. So, in paradigm, I was searching for authentic resources that would tell me about authenticity on the Internet. It's difficult to trust a site that is telling you how to trust sites, especially when discrepancies fall between them. After a lot of looking, and bit of narrowing down, I found a few sites that supported one another, and all seemed fairly trustworthy. The information is posted in my presentation below, so be sure to check it out if you are more interested in specifics!
Here is a slidecast I created for an online presentation project on Issues in Education and the Internet. This presentation deals with Authenticity of Internet sources, and how to ensure that students know how to tell if documents online are true or not.
Enjoy!
http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=http://www.slideshare.net/EvaGorny/authenticity-6941827
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