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Discussion:  List the criteria to follow when researching online. After listing the criteria research 5 reliable/credible websites with resources about how to create a resume and a cover letter. 

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Discussion:  List the criteria to follow when researching online. After listing the criteria research 5 reliable/credible websites with resources about how to create a resume and a cover letter. 

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A.IV (Curate)
2. Identify possible sources of information
3. Making critical choices about information sources to use

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5 Ways to Make Online Research Easier

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When researching school projects, it helps to know how to evaluate and choose online resources. Here are tips.

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Scholarly Sources Explained

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BrainPop - Online sources

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List of most credible sources

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Most Reliable and Credible Sources for Students | Common Sense Education

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Most Reliable and Credible Sources for Students is a list of 27 apps, games, and websites curated by Common Sense Education editors.

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Fast checking credible sources

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As a university student, you are expected to use credible sources in your assessments and course work. A credible source is one that is written by someone who is an expert in their discipline and is free of errors and bias. This guide explains the difference between credible, scholarly and peer-reviewed sources.

Primary, secondary & tertiary sources

Primary, secondary and tertiary resources provide different types of information. A brief overview is below.

Primary sources are first-hand accounts at the time of an event, and items that communicate original research, thought or opinion.

e.g. original research articles, literary works, podcasts, diaries, census and statistics.

Secondary sources are second-hand accounts of an event or topic. They provide analysis, discussion or review of primary materials.

e.g. journal articles (e.g. review articles), newspaper articles and books.

Tertiary sources combine primary and secondary sources. They have often been condensed and rewritten in a more explanatory form.

e.g. textbooks, fact books, almanacs, dictionaries and encyclopaedias.

How to identify credible sources

There are five criteria to consider when evaluating information:

The term ' fake news' has become very popular in the last few years, but what does it really mean? Visit Evaluate your sources to learn more.

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Guides: What are credible sources?: Fact checking

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Evaluating Web Resources - 9th - 12th grade 

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Evaluating Web Resources - 9th - 12th grade 

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University of Minnesota - Libraries

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When searching for information on the Internet, it is important to be aware of the quality of the information being presented to you. Keep in mind that anyone can host a web site. To be sure that the information you are looking at is credible and of value keep the following criteria in mind:
1. Authority/Source

Is it clear who is responsible for the contents of the page? Try to find out who are the authors of the Web page.

Is it an organization, society, governmental site?

Is it sponsored by an educational institution or is it someone's personal site? Or, is it a commercial site where someone is selling something?

Do the authors of the site have any qualifications to go with the information they are presenting? Does the site present any other way of contacting the site authors -- postal address, phone numbers?

2. Accuracy

Are the sources for any factual information listed so that you can verify them in another source?

How well put together is the site -- does it have spelling errors, typos, etc.?

Are any charts, diagrams, statistical information clearly labeled as to where the data source came from?

3. Objectivity/Content

Is this information being provided as part of a public service?

How much, if any, advertising is there on the page?

Is the advertising content clearly separate from the informational content?

Does the author of the page state any bias for producing the page, such as an advocacy for a particular point of view or program?

4. Currency/Timeliness

When was the last time the page itself was updated?

Are there any indications on how often the informational content is updated?

5. Structure/Access/Usability

How well designed or user-friendly is the site? If it contains images, are they useful, load quickly or merely take up space.

Can it be viewed as text-only?

Is the content written at a level that is readable by the intended audience?

Does it contain a "search the site" function?

Domains

.org = non-profit organization

.edu = us educational institution

.info = commercial

.tv = television

.gov = US government

.mil = US military

.biz = business

.museum = museums

.com = commercial site

.net = network resources

.name = personal sites

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Research Guides: Evaluating Web Resources: Home

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When searching for information on the Internet, it is important to be aware of the quality of the information being presented to you. Keep in mind that anyone can host a web site. To be sure that the information you are looking at is credible and of value

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North Carolina University Libraries - Evaluating credible sources

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Berkeley Library - Evaluating Resources: Scholarly & Popular Sources

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. This kind of literature can be key for emerging research and alternative perspectives. To discover the grey literature in your field of interest, browse Grey Literature refers to "reports, conference proceedings, preprints, working papers, theses, dissertations, personal communications, technical notes" and other ephemeral scientific sources, often published by government, business or academic organizations *the article databases for your subject .

Government Publications are a subset of grey literature, and can be important sources for state, federal, and international perspectives on official government proceedings of all kinds. F or more information on the many varieties of government documents, consult the library's Government Information guides.

Tertiary Sources refer to encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks and other reference materials that provide broad overviews of particular topics. Where secondary sources summarize and interpret an event or phenomenon, tertiary sources summarize and interpret other resources. They can be a great place to begin studying unfamiliar topics. To find tertiary sources, take a look at the library's collection of online encyclopedias & almanacs, or dictionaries, thesauri, & quotations.

​ Trade Literature refers to journals, websites, newsletters and other sources aimed at professionals in a particular field. These sources will often report news and trends in the field, reviews of products related to the industry at hand, interviews with leaders in the field, as well as job listings and advertisements. To discover the trade literature in your field of interest, take a look at the business database finder or the library research subject guide for your field of interest. See also: Engineering Trade Publications, Healthcare Industry Information.

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Library Guides: Evaluating Resources: Scholarly & Popular Sources

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This kind of literature can be key for emerging research and alternative perspectives. To discover the grey literature in your field of interest, browse Grey Literature refers to "reports, conference proceedings, preprints, working papers, theses, dissertations, personal communications, technical notes" and other ephemeral scientific sources, often published by government, business or academic organizations * the article databases for your subject .

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Search: Tips & Tricks

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LibGuides: Where Do I Start?: Search Tips & Tricks

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A basic guide to resources and services addressing the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the library.

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Avoid Plagiarism

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From UT Dallas Community Standards & Conduct: Academic Integrity

Every student will be held responsible for reading and understanding the following statement.

To submit to your instructor a paper or comparable assignment that is not truly the product of your own mind and skill is to commit plagiarism. To put it bluntly, plagiarism is the act of stealing the ideas and/or expression of another and representing them as your own. It is a form of a cheating and a kind of scholastic dishonesty which can incur severe penalties. It is important, therefore, that you understand what constitutes plagiarism, so that you will not unwittingly jeopardize your college career.

Plagiarism can take several forms. The most obvious form of plagiarism is the purchase of prepared papers from commercial term paper companies and the submission of such papers as one's own work.

Proper footnoting essential:

A second obvious form of plagiarism is a word-for-word copying of someone else's work, in whole or in part, without appropriate acknowledgement, whether that work be a magazine article, a portion of a book, a newspaper piece, another student's paper, or any other composition not your own. Any such verbatim use of another's work must be acknowledged by (1) appropriate indention or enclosing all such copied portions in quotation marks and by (2) giving the original source in a footnote. As a general rule, you should make very little use of directly quoted matter in your research paper. If you do not know how to footnote properly, ask your instructor for guidance. In addition, proper footnote style for many academic departments is outlined by the MLA Style Sheet or K.L. Turabian's UTD requires dissertation and thesis students to use A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and Dissertations. These and similar publications are available in the library or in the University Bookstore. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian when formatting their papers. This resource is available at the UTD Bookstore and the UTD Library.

Paraphrasing vs. original work

A third form of plagiarism is the paraphrasing for the structure and language of another person's work. Changing a few words of another's composition, omitting a few sentences, or changing their order does not constitute original composition and therefore can be given no credit. If such borrowing or paraphrasing is ever necessary, the source must be scrupulously indicated by footnotes. How then you may ask, can I be original? Am I to learn nothing from others? There are several answers to such questions. Of course you have come to the University to learn, and this means acquiring ideas and exchanging opinions with others. But no idea is ever genuinely learned by copying it down in the phrasing of somebody else. Only when you have the thought through an idea in terms of your own experience can you be said to have learned; and when you have done that, you can develop it on paper as the product of your own mind.

Using the instructor as a resource

If an assignment baffles you, discuss it with your instructor. And if you are directed to use printed sources, consult your instructor about how to proceed. There is an art to taking notes for research; careless note taking can lead to plagiarism.

The consequences of plagiarism

Why be so concerned about plagiarism? Because it defeats the ends of education. If students were given credit for work that is not their own, then course grades would be meaningless. A college degree would become a mere sheet of paper and the integrity of the University would be undermined. To protect conscientious students, therefore, and to guarantee the quality of their education, the University assesses heavy penalties against those who plagiarize. The Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System and the University's Handbook of Operating Procedures provide penalties for plagiarism which range from an "F" grade to dismissal from the University. If these penalties seem severe, remember that your integrity and the integrity of the University itself are at stake. These rules and regulations are available to students from the Dean of Students and the Office of Student Life (SU1.602), where staff are available to assist students in their understanding of the various rules and regulations governing student conduct. Finally, the University cannot prevent students from plagiarizing, but it can make sure that they know what plagiarism is, what the penalties for it are, and in what jeopardy it places future careers; hence this statement. Read it carefully. If you do not understand it fully, consult your instructor. And, if you have any doubts about the originality of a paper you have written or a comparable assignment, see your instructor before you turn it in.

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LibGuides: Where Do I Start?: Avoid Plagiarism (Citing Sources)

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From UT Dallas Community Standards & Conduct: Academic Integrity Every student will be held responsible for reading and understanding the following statement. To submit to your instructor a paper or comparable assignment that is not truly the product of your own mind and skill is to commit plagiarism.