Quiz 4: Evaluating information

Go to this website and evaluate it using SIFT. Remember that you can check what other websites, such as Wikipedia, say about it: http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/ What is the main purpose of the website?

. <Not> To sell Sherlock Holmes books and videos.

What are the four moves of SIFT as given in Chapter 4?

Stop - Investigate the source - Find better coverage - Trace information back

In addition to avoiding misinformation, what is another reason you should evaluate the information you use?

To make sure that the sources you want to use add something useful to your project.

Match each part of a scholarly article with its description. -Summary of the article found at the beginning. -Focuses on the key findings and possibly future research directions. -The most detail on what was discovered during the research process -How the author(s) did their investigations and analysis.

Abstract. Conclusion. Results. Methods.

A friend posts on social media that they won't get a vaccine because it will cause abnormal lymph notes. Which of the following is the best thing to do next if you want to respond to this post?

Do a Google search to find where the claim comes from

Indicate True or False to the below statements regarding why it is important to research the reputation of a source. -You need to make sure your source completely agrees with your argument. -Anyone can present themselves as an expert on a topic, whether or not that is actually the case. -Learning about how and what a source has published in the past can give insight into whether you can trust them. -Ensuring the information is hosted on a trustworthy domain, such as .org, will strengthen your research.

False. True. True. False.

You find a source on your topic that makes points that sound convincing, but the author does not indicate where the information came from. According to Chapter 4, what is the most likely type of bias that applies?

Flawed sourcing

You're reading a source for your project and find a claim about the topic that is new to you. Which of the following are good examples of how to do lateral reading to check this claim? -See if an fact-checking sites have already checked it. -Follow any links back to the original source of the claim. -See if the same author makes the claim in other sources. -Don't waste time checking the author or publication, just check the claim.

Good example. Good example. Bad example. Bad example.

For each of these research situations, indicate whether "any year" or "last 2 years" would be a better type of date limit to use: -Your instructor has assigned you to find recent research relating to the course topic. -You want to find scholarly research about an event that happened seventy years ago. -You want to find articles about current options in consume electronics. -Your assignment is to make a timeline of major developments in your field of study.

Last 2 years. Any year. Last 2 years. Any year.

While doing research for a paper, the first article you found is one you think is trustworthy. According to SIFT, after investing the article, what should you do next?

Look for more and better articles about this topic published in other sources.

You read an interesting news report about research on a new medical treatment. Which information from the news story could you search to help find the original source of the information? -The name of the news report author together with the headline of the news report. -The name of a researcher quoted in the news report. -A "more like this" link on the news source website. -The names of the organization where the research was done.

No. Yes. No. Yes.

A research assignment requires you to use sources published in the last 10 years, and at least seven of them need to be peer-reviewed articles. So far, you have found one useful peer-reviewed article by the author A.B. Cee, published 3 years ago. If the following sources all cover your research topic, which are relevant for the assignment? An article from 15 years ago that Cee cited in their article. A recent article you found by searching with a new set of keywords from Cee's article. A news release where Cee gives a shorter explanation of the research project from the article. A video where Cee describes early findings in their newest research

Not Relevant. Relevant. Not Relevant. Relevant.

A research assignment requires you to use at least five sources. The sources can be from any year, but they all have to be peer-reviewed articles. So far, you have found one useful article by the author M.N. Oh, published in a peer-reviewed journal. If the following sources all cover your research topic, which are relevant for the assignment? -A peer-reviewed article you found by searching with a new set of keywords from Oh's article. -A video where Oh describes early findings in their newest research. -A peer-reviewed article by Oh using a different research method. -A peer-reviewed article from 15 years ago that Oh cited in their article

Relevant. Not Relevant. Relevant. Relevant.

Go to this website and evaluate it using SIFT. Remember that you can check what other websites, such as Wikipedia, say about it: https://www.audubon.org/ What is the main purpose of the website?

To promote conservation of birds and their habitats.

When you're investigating a source for your research, you might observe features that indicate the source is likely to be trustworthy or untrustworthy. Other features can be inconclusive—not helpful in deciding to use the source or not. For each of the following, answer whether it's a sign of a trustworthy source, an untrustworthy source, or inconclusive. -Most websites that comment on it disagree with what it says about its purpose. -The publishing company that produced it has a good reputation. -The tone of the source is sensationalized and insulting. -A Google search shows the author is employed by a large corporation.

Untrustworthy. Trustworthy. <Not> Inconclusive. Inconclusive.

What should you do if you do not understand most of the content being described in an article's abstract?

Use a different article that you can actually understand.

You're hoping to prove that a photo you saw on social media is fake. To check the source of the image, which steps are useful, according to Chapter 4? -Copy the image into Google Image Search to find when it was first available online. -Search fast-checking sites with keywords that describe the image. -Save the image to your computer so you can check the file properties. -Challenge the person who posted the image to prove it's real.

Useful. Useful. Not useful. Not useful.

According to Chapter 4, does a website with a top-level domain of .com need to be evaluated?

Yes, because domain tells you where a site comes from but doesn't guarantee quality.

Which of the approaches below should you use to evaluate a scholarly resource? -Read the methods section to better understand how the research was conducted. -Make sure that the paper has colorful graphics and tables. -Check the place of publication to see what country the journal is published in. -Check to see if the journal is peer reviewed and has a good scholarly reputation.

Yes. No. No. Yes.

It is easy to get lost exploring different resources while doing your research. According to SIFT, what do you need to do to help you to stay on task? -Think about your needs and whether those resources meet them. -Explore the most interesting resources even if they are only tangentially related to your topic. -Consider the types of information you need for your research project. -Limit your search to only websites with .edu or .org domains.

Yes. No. Yes. No.

You and a friend disagree about something and both look it up with the same keywords and the same search engine, but you get different top results. Which of the following is a possible reason for this? -The search engine's algorithm remembers that you come from different locations and have different interests in what counts as "local" news. -You and your friend have different search histories using that search engine, affecting what its algorithm "thinks" you want to see. -Search engine algorithms are designed to make search results partly random so more websites get traffic, not just a few. -The search engine's data shows you are smarter than your friend and can understand more complex writers and websites.

Yes. Yes. No. No.

The first move of SIFT includes a reminder to check your emotional reactions as you do research. Indicate TWO reasons why this is helpful:

-Verifying whether a source is true is important regardless of how you feel about its claims. -Sources that make you question your assumptions about a topic can be helpful.

According to Chapter 4, does a website with a top level domain of .org need to be evaluated?

. <Not> No, because of the process the organization must go through to qualify for a .org domain name.