In many cases, good writing begins with good source material--especially in an academic context.  In today's information economy, and with the wealth of knowledge online, the reliability of a source can be somewhat ambiguous.  This workshop will deal with how to judge an internet source based on credibility.

Introduction

• First, we'll give you an idea of who we are and what we do at the writing center.

Assessing Information on the Net

• We're going to assume that you are writing a paper on a controversial topic.  We'll ask you to consider different aspects of arguments surrounding this topic, and the basis for those arguments.
• Now, we'll search Google for your topic, and look at the potential sources that come up.
  • First, we'll talk about which sources seem credible.
  • Then, we'll talk about which source seems to be the most thorough, careful, and/or sophisticated.
  • Finally, we'll consider which source will be the most useful to you in your research.
• We'll give you about 20 minutes to consider your potential sources and talk about each one.

Finding Information on the Net

• Ok.  At this point, we'll have seen jsut how many hits on Google we can get for one topic.  We'll now think about strategies to narrow your search down to relevant, reliable information.  Potential strategies:
  • MSU Library database access to journals and magazines
  • Google Scholar
  • Specific or technical search-phrase wordings that may help you get quality information