Chapter 5 goes into detail about how to evaluate your sources. It starts out with what factors you should take while evaluating and should you evaluate all your sources the exact same way. This is key because doing research is one thing but if your sources aren't credible and aren't up to par your paper will fall short. To begin you should evaluate your sources for relevance which means that whatever information your source is providing you can make a strong link to your project. Next is to evaluate the evidence being discussed, you can look at it this way; is there enough evidence being provided, is it the right type of evidence, is it used fairly, and is the source of the evidence provided. Next you should evaluate the author, making sure the author is knowledgeable on the topic, author's affiliation and any biases that could affect the information. After evaluating the author you should evaluate the publisher by locating information about the said publisher and how the publishers biases could affect the information. You should also look at when this source was published and if the information being provided is still relevant. Looking at the genre of the piece will also help you, look at the style of writing uses, how evidence is used, how it's organized, type of citations used and the way the document is designed. Not all sites should be evaluated the same way. The process doesn't differ greatly from one source to another but you should keep in mind some key ideas when you evaluate them. For example, when looking at websites and blogs look at the sites domain (.edu, .com, ect.) and look into the website read the 'About Me' section. Keeping these key things in mind when evaluating your sources can help you get rid of sources that are weak and find the sources that are strong.
Evaluating a Web site:
Link: http://www.governing.com/news/politics/gov-biggest-problem-for-public-education-lack-of-funding-poll-says.html
1. Domain is .com which means it's a business purpose.
2. The title bar reads, "Biggest Problem for Public Education? Lack of Funding, Poll Says"
3. Author: Dylan Scott
4. Published: August 23, 2012
5. Illustrations that are provided show relevance in topic. They allow a more visual picture to understand what is going on. Also discuses a poll taken to see what the public actually thinks about the biggest problem our education is facing.
6. About this site and further information was provided.
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