Eng101A Argument Paper:
The Politics of Corn

It is always your job to think critically about the information you find, regardless of the source, but Web sources present a special challenge. Why?

• The materials found on the Web are not “selected” as in a library collection
• No standards or guidelines exist for publication on the Free Internet.

Give every website the Reliability Test:

• Consult multiple sources to verify information.
• Be alert to sites that advocate a one-sided point of view (bias); motives are not always obvious. Ask yourself: Where’s the money? Who benefits? Use information as appropriate, it may be an excellent source, but present it in context.
• Pay attention to URL “domain” names. U.S. sites are assigned a suffix according to the groups or individuals who own them. For example:
• Commercial: http://www.thebioenergysite.com/index.php 
• Advocacy: http://www.drivingethanol.org/ 
• U.S. Government: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/Feg/ethanol.shtml
• Educational Institutions: http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/april18/ethanol-041807.html ;  http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2006/01/26_ethanol.shtml

What’s the word on Wikipedia?? Use it (since you’re going to anyway), but proceed with CAUTION!

• Never cite a Wikipedia article as a source in an academic paper unless the paper is ABOUT Wikipedia!

So what’s it good for?

• Accessible, non-threatening introduction to a topic
• Source of keywords for more advanced re-searching
• Exposure to more reliable published sources on a topic in various formats, see: References in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel  (e.g., footnotes 146, 136, 51. Locate originals & evaluate these sources, too!)

Currency (date published): an important factor in the alternative fuel debate. Most recent update is not always declared on the site—and no guarantee the content is current! But it’s good to know:

• Type into address bar of website:  javascript:alert(document.lastModified)
• If using Firefox, right click on the page & select View Page Info.

Comprehensive Guide to Evaluating Web resources on LRC Website!! http://www2.ohlone.edu/org/library/webeval.html
Excellent Web Directories: Sources Suitable for Academic Research

• Librarian’s Internet Index: Websites You Can Trust:  http://lii.org/  
• Internet Public Library:  http://www.ipl.org/

SIRS Knowledge Source (SKS)

• What is it?
• Full-text articles on social issues and topics in the arts and humanities
• Bundles information into distinct & useful categories
• For topic ideas, click on the Topic Browse & Database Features tabs at top of Homepage
• Explore Pro / Con to the right (click on More Issues…)
• Click on Alternative Energy Sources under Leading Issues
• Select from Essential Questions
• Review Topic Overview
• Explore Research Tools (icons):
• Timeline, Global Impact, Statistics applied to specific topics
• Research Guides & Note Organizer for tips on how to manage your research findings
• Review YES / NO overviews & selected sources
•  Review Results List (may Sort results by date or relevance)
• Search Tips:
• Start with a Quick Search, which defaults to a Subject Headings search
• E.G., “ethanol as fuel” (notice how search box suggests subdivisions of larger subjects when Subject Headings button is selected)
• Review Summary of articles on Results List
• Click on links to related descriptors in Subjects line at the bottom of Summary
• Save good results with Session Save (note: Firefox may not allow access to this feature. If not, try Internet Explorer):
• Find My List at top
• From drop-down menu, select Session Save
• Enter a username & password
• Enter the same username & password to retrieve a session (sessions saved for 1-month)
• When retrieving a session, click on Tagged List
• SKS is an excellent source for substantive news, periodical, reference and reliable WWW sources; not a source for scholarly journals. See Academic Search Premier (EbscoHost) database for peer-reviewed resources.

Any Questions?
Ask a Librarian!