Resources

Primary documents for American history and other documents [ VIEW]

Primary WWW sources from Dr. Fritz [VIEW]

A Bibliography of Ancient Religions (in progress) [ VIEW]

Guilford College Writing Manual [ VIEW] This site is the home of the on-line Guilford writing manual. The Writing Manual was written by Jeff Jeske for Guilford College. The web site was referenced in the Short Guide on pages 132 and 133, in the section on "Writing Drafts". The site contains many helpful suggestions about writing, including a "how to" section on book reviews and peer editing. The site is easy to navigate and the presentation style is lively and informative.

ICYouSee: A Critical Guide to Thinking About What You See on the Web [ VIEW]

Written and maintained by "John R. Henderson, Librarian, Ithaca College Library. This lively site, with plenty of color and boldface writing, provides a good introduction to Web evaluation as well as an interactive tutorial. Librarian John R. Henderson backs up most of his points with links to interesting online examples. Henderson opens with the question of whether the Web is the best resource for certain types of research, followed by questions of source, authority and validity, creators’ intention, quality, and the initial purpose of online material. The site ends with a quiz, an assignment to practice evaluating sites, and a bibliography of more than 20 resources. This site was updated in August 2000.

Evaluating Internet Resources [ VIEW]

Robert Harris, Professor of English, Vanguard University of Southern California.

This site, created by Professor Robert Harris, addresses the diversity of information available on the Web and offers strategies for evaluating it. The article outlines pre-evaluation techniques followed by tests and guidelines for judging the information quality of Internet sites. The techniques are based on the “CARS Checklist” which stands for Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, and Support. Credibility includes factors such as the author’s credentials, evidence of quality control, well-developed meta information (such as tables of contents, ratings, reviews, and commentaries), and indicators of poor quality (such as anonymity or poor writing). Accuracy refers to information that is correct: “up to date, factual, detailed, exact, and comprehensive.” Judging reasonableness involves “fairness, objectivity, moderateness, and consistency.” Support refers to the sources cited, especially the ability to corroborate the information provided on the website. Harris closes with this advice: “take your information to the Café (Challenge, Adapt, File, Evaluate).”

Evaluating Websites: Criteria and Tools [ VIEW]

Michael Engle, Reference Division, Olin Kroch Uris Libraries, Cornell University.

"A basic guide for students and other users of the web to analyze the usefulness and reliability of sites. Includes four links to examples of sites in order to illustrate ways to distinguish scholarly journals and sites from other types; two links to similar guides prepared by librarians elsewhere; five sites that review and rank sites; and a three-title “webliography” of books on the subject. Created for a New York Library Association Conference, but updated recently (July 2001). Useful for students needing elementary guidance for using the web to help with assignments.

History Matters: Making Sense of Evidence [ VIEW]

This site "offers Learner Guides and interactive exercises that explore the historian’s craft. The Guides will provide background and strategies for using various primary sources, including oral history, diaries and letters, and photographs. The interactive exercises challenge students to consider the complexities of interpreting certain kinds of historical evidence, such as photographs, film, and music." Well worth the time to explore, especially if you are new to research. George Mason University

History Matters: Reference Desk -- Dealing with Digital Resources [ VIEW]

This feature provides annotated links to resources on standards, citing and evaluating Web sites, and understanding copyright and fair use laws as they apply to the use and creation of educational materials on the Web. George Mason University

Doug's Cookbook [ VIEW]

Recipes for people who like to cook.