Unit 3 IP

 

Assignment:

This assignment allows you to become familiar with using the Internet and Library to find useful research. This assignment also allows you to start understanding how to evaluate sources for your research assignment.

For the process of writing in a graduate-level course, you are expected to have a solid grasp of writing a well-researched assignment. The Internet offers a large amount of information, but the vast majority of it is not scholarly. Therefore, it is important to be able to identify what is a good resource and what is not. One way to evaluate information is to look at some of the distinguishing factors of the resource, such as the following:

Is the information current and timely? 

Is the information relevant and useful?  

What is the source of the information, and how legitimate is this source?  

Is the information both accurate and objective?  

What is the reason and purpose for the information, and is there any bias from the author? 

Be sure to read Evaluating Resources for more information.

Your first task will be to identify a subject that you could conceivably write about in your graduate studies. For example, you may be working on a Masters in Information Technology, and you have an interest in virtual identities. 

Your next step will be to identify 3 resources on the subject using the  Internet.

Use this template to complete the remaining steps of this assignment.

For each article, you should identify which criteria it meets or does not meet. Try to find 1 article that fits each of the following (3 total): 

1 resource should be a high-quality resource that meets all of the criteria.  

1 resource should be a solid-quality resource that meets some of the criteria and could still be useful for your research.  

1 resource should be a poor resource that meets few of the criteria and should not be included in your research. 

Next, write 1–2 sentences discussing the quality of the article. Then, write a short paragraph explaining the subject matter you identified. The paragraph should include the following: 

An overview of the topic.  

What you learned from your resources.  

Why subject is interesting to you and/or your reader. 

Finally, write a properly-formatted APA reference for each resource. Upload your assignment to the Submissions area of this assignment. Review the Individual Project tutorial, if needed. 

Evaluating Information:

Whenever you come across information, in print or online, you need to evaluate its credibility. Below is a simple tool you can use to separate good information from not-so-good information. Ask yourself the questions below as you analyze your information source. The more you are able to answer YES to these questions, the more likely it is a credible source to use for your speech.

Currency- The timeliness of the information.

 Can you find a date the information was published or posted?

 Is the information timely for your speech topic?

Relevance – The usefulness of the information.

 Does this relate to your topic?

 Does it help you answer your research question?

 Does it provide background, flavor, or evidentiary information?

 Can it help you find other information related to your question or topic?

 Is the information at the appropriate level for your audience?

Authority – The source of the information.

 Are you able to determine who published or posted this information?

 Is the author or organization qualified to speak on this subject?

 Is there contact information such as a publisher or email address?

 Does the domain name indicate appropriate authority for the information source? (.com = commercial, .gov = government, .org = organization, . edu = education)

Accuracy – The correctness and reliability of the information.

 Are the facts listed corroborated by other sources?

 Does the author acknowledge other perspectives or differing opinions?

 Can the information be verified in some way?

Purpose – The reason for the information.

 Is the author free from a conflict of interest that would bias what she or he has to say?

(i.e. they work for the drug company that produces the drug they are reporting on; they have stock in the product they are testing, etc.)

 Are the author’s motives clearly stated? (Is it an opinion piece? Political message? Product advertisement?)

 Does