June 24, 2014
Below is a handy visual you can share with your students to help them learn about how to critically judge online ( and offline) content. The information included in this visual is based on Google Safety resources as well as on an article I shared here a couple of years ago.
Criteria for judging content critically
1- Be skeptic
Before you believe ask yourself questions such as: what's the point of view of the site? And what opinions or ideas are missing. Does the information show a minimum of bias ? Is the author impartial in their reasoning ? Is the page designed to sway opinions ?
Always double check the facts that you find through comparing them with other sources of information. Ask yourself: Is the information reliable ? Is it error-free ? Does it include links to other resources ?
3- About the author
Is the author qualified ? An expert in their domain ? Is there a link to the information about the author or the sponsor of the website ? If the page does not include no author name or sponsor, then is there any other way to determine its origin.
4- About the page
Check out if the page is dated and if so , is it current enough ? what topics this website cover ? What is it that this page offers to readers ? How in-depth is the material ? What about the writing style, arguments, data , and facts included ? how are these developed ?
5- Search strategically
Use advanced search features to refine your searches. Think critically about your online searches and use specific and descriptive keywords.
6- Conduct multiple searches
Search for the same topic using various keywords and phrases. Compare the search results and evaluate the different perspectives.
7- Pay attention to the URL domains
The URL domain is located at the end of a website address. URL domains reveal the kind of organization you are dealing with . Educational institutions and government entities usually aim to share knowledge and improve communities. Examples of URL domains are .com = company, .gov = government website, .edu = educational institution, .org = organization.
Check out an enlarged version of this visual from this link. You can also download it as a PDF from here.
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June 24, 2014