Workshop 3 - Evaluating information
By the end of this session you should be able to:
- understand the uses and limitations of using the evaluation criteria for research
- understand the difference between a search engine and a subject guide
- use the advanced features in Google
- understand the pros and cons of the Internet
- understand the importance of referencing & how to avoid plagiarism
Everything is on the Net!
Suprisingly only a small fraction of the world of information is available on the Internet. Think of all the books and magazines that were published before the invention of computers and networks.
© Copyright law is another reason why much information is not online.
Copyright protects authors and publishers from others reproducing their work without permission. How could an author or publisher make money if people could get everything free on the Internet?
There is a lot of good information on the Internet but sometimes it can be hard to identify the most authorative source. Often information is copied from one website or blog to another without anyone confirming it's accuracy.
Developing skills to evaluate Internet sources will help you become a savvy information consumer.