Web searches

Misquoting Google
Take the quiz
Evaluating online info
Checklist for evaluating websites
Web treasure hunt

Misquoting Google—Are these quotes in the ballpark or not?
1. A Google search for the phrase “Iraq War” returned 8.87 million hits. Raleigh News & Observer

2. The phrase “geopolitical climate” is a favorite among market commentators. A Google search found 6,330 mentions of it. It makes me feel important to use it. The Motley Fool

3. A search on the Google search engine under “boycott American products” found 573,000 page hits. UPI

IMPORTANT! When Google spits back numbers, it uses word “about.” When you cite Google hit numbers, you should too.

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Take the quiz in the first module (Test your web knowledge): http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/infosrv/lue/webwizard/

Titanic statistics site: http://www.anesi.com/titanic.htm

1. You’ll be divided into three groups—one for Authority, one for Content, and one for Presentation. See the list below.

2. Go to the Titanic Statistics site, http://www.anesi.com/titanic.htm. Review the site for your assigned area. Discuss within your group. Pick one person to present your findings.

3. Was there anything that surprised you once you did some more research? What does this tell you about web credibility?

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Evaluating online info
• Consumer Web Watch (investigates, informs, and improves the credibility of information published on the Web)

• Evaluating Web Pages (techniques to apply and questions to ask)

• Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility (10 guidelines for building a site's credibility)

• Verifying Information on the Web (a checklist)

• Virtual Chase (evaluating the quality of information on the Internet)

• InfoPeople Best Search Tools Chart (Boolean and other search options)

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Checklist for evaluating websites

Authority
Yes ___ No ___ The author is listed on the page or a connecting page.
Yes ___ No ___ The author's credentials are stated.
Yes ___ No ___ The author appears to be knowledgeable and has good credentials.
Yes ___ No ___ There’s a way to get in touch with the author.
Yes ___ No ___ There’s an organization affiliated with the site or author.
Yes ___ No ___ You can find out about the purpose or intent of the organization.
What does the domain name tell you about the site? Is it a .com, .gov, .edu, or a personal website?

Content
Yes __ No __ The site is finished, not under construction.
Yes __ No __ The information is current. When was it updated? ____
Yes __ No __ There is not any obvious bias or slant to the information.
Yes __ No __ The advertising is clearly separated from the contents of the page.
Yes __ No __ There are links to external sources of information.
Yes __ No __ The external links work.
Is there a non-web version of the site? If not, this is not necessarily a detriment, but it can add or detract from credibility based on the reputation of the print medium.

Presentation
Yes __ No __ The site looks professional.
Yes __ No __ The writing style is appropriate to the topic.
Yes __ No __ There are not typographic, spelling, or grammatical errors.
Yes __ No __ It’s easy to find your way around in the site.
Yes __ No __ Images and sound have been edited.
Yes __ No __ Images and sound enhance the content.

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Web treasure hunt
http://PowerReporting.com/treasure.html

Web fact finders
You’ll be assigned one of the following pieces of information for which to search. Take 10 minutes to search the Web, making notes about your searching strategy, sites visited, successes or failures, challenges. Each person will describe to class their strategy and the information they found.

You cannot use Google. Try AlltheWeb and/or Teoma and/or Alta Vista and/or DogPile.

1. What are the names of all members of Coldplay? What instruments do they play?

2. What high temperature is forecasted for this Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska? How much rain fell in Tempe in 2004?

3. Which National League team had the most stolen bases in major league baseball in 2004?

4. Of the top 100 great British songs, what is #6?

5. How old is Beyoncé. When is her birthday? Where was she born?

6. What are the required courses for a journalism major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?

7. Suggest a book on finding the right pet.

8. Suggest a good place to go hiking within 60 miles of Phoenix?

9. When did the TV show Twin Peaks go off the air?

10. What is the average price of a home in the Phoenix area?

11. Suggest a good Italian restaurant in Tempe. What is the price range?

12. Find a hotel room in Manhattan near Times Square. What is the price range?

13. What were the Oscar nominees for Best Picture in the year that you were born?

14. Find one historical or news event that happened on the exact day you were born? Hint: It’s history!

15. What are considered the top three MBA schools in the country right now?

16. Who is Lawrence Lessig? What did he found? What does his organization do?

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