Skip to Main Content

Project Rebound: Websites

This is a guide for students, staff, and faculty who are part of Project Rebound.

Evaluating Websites

Which website would you trust?

http://bit.ly/1g6rPk4               http://bit.ly/9WbEfQ      

http://bit.ly/1rjkldT                http://bit.ly/1zfNr7Q  

http://bit.ly/1lXyRVY             http://bit.ly/1i4rr2J                  

Wikipedia             American Fact Finder       Youtube

Yahoo Answers    Library Answers               PollakLibrary Youtube

Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating websites:

  • Is the author an authority or expert on the subject?  Are they credible?
  • What is the author's agenda?  Do they have a bias? Are they trying to sell an idea or product?  
  • Who is sponsoring the site? What does the URL tell you?  nonprofit (.org), governmental (.gov)
  • What is the purpose of the site?  To sell something? To inform? 
  • Who is the intended audience for the site?
  • Do they use evidence to support fact claims, ideas, or opinions?
  • Is the information current?

Rockwell painting, "now son, do you know what you did wrong?"

http://factitious.augamestudio.com/#/     

"Now son, do you know what you did wrong?"  "Yes sir, I shared something on Facebook without checking facts & encouraged bullshit to propagate, leading to the dumbing-down of humanity."

CRAAP Criteria

The CRAAP Criteria:

  • Currency
  • Relevance
  • Authority
  • Accuracy
  • Purpose

How to Avoid Alternative News

Break down of news sources

12 Dec 2016 in Culture, Design, Ethics, Journalism, Media, Rhetoric

Chart credited to Vanessa Otero

​List of news sources ranked from left (liberal) to right (conservative) by reliability.

Questionable: Natural News, Addicting Info, Occupy Democrats, U.S. Uncut, Huffington Post, Infowars, DailyCaller, Fox News, Red State, Blaze.

Reliable: AP, Reuters, ABC news, NBC news, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, BBC, The Hill, The Economist, The Guardian, The Atlantic.