As more students turn to the Internet to research assignments for middle and high school academics, they may want to read up on how to check the sources’ accuracy, timeliness and authority. Being able to do so is becoming a critical study skill
More than 87 percent of children between the ages of 12 and 17 go online, according to a July, 2005 survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Of those, 78 percent said they have used the Internet at school. The same survey taken four years earlier revealed that 71 percent of teens used the Internet as the major source for their most recent school project. As more and more reference information becomes available online, that number is surely increasing.
Student Homework Only as Good as the Sources
But even as they come to rely on this convenient tool, some teachers fret that students can’t always tell a legitimate source from one that is inaccurate, outdated, or even bogus.
Robert Harris, a retired California professor who has written on using the Web as a research tool, compares online research to a grocery store checkout lane magazine rack. A shopper may find titles such as "Time" and "Newsweek" sharing shelf space with tabloid headlines about Elvis’ latest sighting.
Studying Tips for Using Online Sources
On his Web site, VirtualSalt.com, Harris suggests the CARS approach to evaluate online sources:
- Credibility. What are the author’s credentials? Is he or she from a respectable organization? Anonymity and misspellings can often be clues that the information is suspect.
- Accuracy. Is the information current? Is there a date on the document? Is it comprehensive? Does it acknowledge or respond to opposing views?
- Reasonableness. Check for fairness, objectivity and consistency.
- Support. Are other sources cited? Can the information be confirmed through other sources?