Evaluating Internet Information

CS 102

Assignment:

The purpose of this lab is to sensitize you to the issues of the uses of information.  Virtually anyone can publish on the Internet and not everything you find is worthwhile.  You need to be critical of everything that you see. 

Working in groups you will evaluate a number of web sites below.  Some are good, some are bad, and some may fall somewhere in between.  Can you tell which are which?   For each web site, record specific reasons on why you should find the information at the site credible and trustworthy or not. 

After you are done, take a look at your results and from this develop a short unified strategy for evaluating internet information.

Web sites for evaluation:

  1. http://www.d-b.net/dti/
  2. http://www.ddc.com/~kjohnson/birdcare.htm
  3. http://www.ithaca.edu/library/lib2/AIDSFACTS.html
  4. http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/hiv_aids/hivinfo/overview.htm
  5. http://www.wineinstitute.org/res_ed/health_research/fas.html
  6. http://www.smartlink.net/~phillipj/smoking.htm
  7. http://www.epa.gov/iedweb00/pubs/strsfs.html
  8. http://www.whitehouse.net
  9. http://www.gatt.org/
  10. http://www.melatonin.com