Research Log Entry I

There were a number of concepts presented this week.
A) Which did you know already?

From my former English class I already learned a lot about evaluating web resources. I knew a lot of the main questions such as, when was the site updated, who published it, and if the author was credible from doing bibliographies and works cited. It is important to ask yourself these questions in order to know that you are receiving information that is valid and from a notable source. I knew about most of the search engines and URL information.

B) Which were new to you?

I had never heard the word Boolean operators before, but I learned the concept for researching back in eighth grade for an end of the year project. Learning how to research in search engines is really half the battle, and to further understand will help a lot. The tip, "or is more" is handy and will help me remember when researching. This helps to broaden or narrow your search when needed. I did not know it was important to add in all synonyms connected with or's in order to receive better information.

If you were given a research assignment and you chose the web as one strategy for your search, name three important evaluation elements you need to consider.

1. What is the date of the last publication of the site? Is it current?
2. The authority of the author. Is he or she credible?
3. Is there a bias? You need to know if the author is trying to persuade you.