English 102: Connect: Evaluating Information Sources

Drag each characteristic to the appropriate category based on whether a Web site with that characteristic would probably be a reliable or unreliable source for academic research.

Reliable * URL with .gov suffix *affiliated with a reputable academic institution Unreliable * obvious errors * inaccurate information * focus on advertising and selling products

Which of these choices are considered popular sources? a) newspaper article b) academic journal article c) magazine article d) doctoral dissertation

a) newspaper article c) magazine article

The general term for an entity that financially supports a Web site is ___________. a) sponsor b) influencer c) director d) author

a) sponsor

The best way to find authoritative, peer-reviewed publications is by searching your college library's __________.

academic databases

The main difference between popular and scholarly sources is the intended __________ of each.

audience

Lucy is writing a paper on globalization for her economics class. Because of the academic nature of her assignment, she should use primarily __________ sources.

scholarly

A source's appropriateness often depends on the __________. a) length of the source b) audience c) professional or academic context d) popularity of the source

b) audience c) professional or academic context

To get a broad picture for his research project about different methods of interpreting the US Constitution, Elias is looking for conscientious sources that cover all methods fairly.

Likely to be fair * article by a law professor titled "Constitutional Interpretation: An Overview of Each Theory," posted on a law-school Web site. * article in a national magazine tracing the history of constitutional interpretation from the first Supreme Court to the present. Unlikely to be fair *blog post titled "Why Originalism is Not Only Wrong but Dangerous" on a constitutional discussion forum. *editorial in a national newspaper advocating one particular method of constitutional interpretation.

Which sources could you safely assume to be trustworthy? a) Wikipedia-type Web sites b) scholarly journal c) e-commerce Web site d) university publication

b) scholarly journal d) university publication

Your research question is "What are the ongoing consequences of poor eating for the health of the American family?" Which sources would be considered reliable with a high level of expertise for researching this question? a) TV news story titled "Health Crazy" that contains interviews with such experts as the US surgeon general. b) article titled "Eat Right, Don't Eat Easy" published on YahooHealth Web site by the president of the American Pediatric Association c) article titled "Food: Fast and Healthy" written by an anonymous author on a Web site sponsored by a fast-food chain d) Web site sponsored by the National Institutes of Health reporting on health statistics

a) TV news story titled "Health Crazy" that contains interviews with such experts as the US surgeon general. b) article titled "Eat Right, Don't Eat Easy" published on YahooHealth Web site by the president of the American Pediatric Association d) Web site sponsored by the National Institutes of Health reporting on health statistics

Your research question is " What is the evidence and what are the arguments that support the assertion that climate change is happening?" Which choices are likely to be trustworthy sources for this research question? a) definitions of "climate change" and "global warming" from Wikitionary b) position statement from the American Meteorological Society c) Independent report prepared by twenty-six leading climate scientists. d) report published by a lobbying firm for the oil and gas industry that questions the conclusions of climate scientists

b) position statement from the American Meteorological Society c) Independent report prepared by twenty-six leading climate scientists.

If your purpose in conducting research is to educate an audience of experts and professionals, you should use __________ sources, such as journals, doctoral dissertations, and books published by professional organizations or educational institutions. a) lengthy b) scholarly c) reference d) recent

b) scholarly

Sources that present only partial information to prove a point or that omit crucial information that is contradictory to their arguments are said to be __________.

biased

The educational or professional credentials of authors can establish that they __________. a) have a good reputation b) are honest c) have a high level of expertise d) are unbiased

c) have a high level of expertise

Suppose you are researching the topic of gender identity and are having trouble understanding a current controversy discussed in several scholarly sources you have found. Which source would be the best choice to give you insight into the controversy? a) a newspaper article about changing views of gender identity in the twentieth century b) a blog post by a popular commentator with controversial views on the topic c) an advertisement by a cosmetic company that stresses women's rights d) an article about the controversy in Newsweek magazine

d) an article about the controversy in Newsweek magazine

While writing an essay about political polarization in the United States, Andre is seeking current news and information about the next national election cycle. With this purpose in mind, he should explore __________ sources.

popular

University presses typically have reputations as highly credible sources because they have rigorous __________-review processes.

peer

Match each type of source on the left with the example of that source on the right.

periodicals - the Los Angeles Times, the Journal of the American Medical Association databases - the MLA International Bibliography, LexisNeeds Academic general reference works - Webster's Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica Web-based sources - blogs, discussion forums