How do we evaluate reliability and authority of information we find on the Internet? This is a good question! It’s important to think about it; we really need to have some criteria to follow in order to filter information on the Internet. The list we elaborated on Wednesday can be really useful to our research. Taking into consideration that list, I tried to evaluate the sources of information about "personal learning environment" that I found using Google Blogs, Google Books and Google Scholar.
I noticed that some blogs can be considered valuable sources of information: they show more “serious” graphics and layout than those showed by other personal blogs, they offer information about the author (even biographies), and they’re protected by copyright. I think blogs can be seen as the starting point of our research because reading blogs we can find the name of other authors, websites, books… It’s an easy way to know what other people think about a specific topic.
Then I used Google Books. The information I found is certainly reliable. Indeed, using this tool you find books and books satisfy almost all the criteria of our list!
For me, the most useful tool is Google Scholar. On Google Books we can find only parts of books, while on Google Scholar we find complete essays, journal articles, PDF documents … Moreover, it’s easier to choose what interests us because these kind of documents usually have an abstract: we just need to read it to understand if the document is what we’re looking for.
Taking into consideration the above observations, I decided that, from today onwards, my research on the internet will consist of 4 steps! I’ll use:
1. Google (especially Wikipedia) and Google Blogs to have a general idea and see what other people can tell me about the topic of my research
2. del.icio.us to find detailed information about authors, websites, books…
3. Google Books to see if a specific book is published online and to read bibliographies that allow me to find out other books, authors…
4. Google Scholar to see if I can find some complete documents published online.
I noticed that some blogs can be considered valuable sources of information: they show more “serious” graphics and layout than those showed by other personal blogs, they offer information about the author (even biographies), and they’re protected by copyright. I think blogs can be seen as the starting point of our research because reading blogs we can find the name of other authors, websites, books… It’s an easy way to know what other people think about a specific topic.
Then I used Google Books. The information I found is certainly reliable. Indeed, using this tool you find books and books satisfy almost all the criteria of our list!
For me, the most useful tool is Google Scholar. On Google Books we can find only parts of books, while on Google Scholar we find complete essays, journal articles, PDF documents … Moreover, it’s easier to choose what interests us because these kind of documents usually have an abstract: we just need to read it to understand if the document is what we’re looking for.
Taking into consideration the above observations, I decided that, from today onwards, my research on the internet will consist of 4 steps! I’ll use:
1. Google (especially Wikipedia) and Google Blogs to have a general idea and see what other people can tell me about the topic of my research
2. del.icio.us to find detailed information about authors, websites, books…
3. Google Books to see if a specific book is published online and to read bibliographies that allow me to find out other books, authors…
4. Google Scholar to see if I can find some complete documents published online.
I hope this method will work!!! :-)
Ilaria.
Ilaria.
Hi Ilaria,
RispondiEliminait was very interesting and useful reading your post about Internet search and reliability of sources. I am happy because after Wednesday's lesson I have clear in mind what criteria I can use to make a good research. I only had the possibility to visit Google Books, but as I've commented on our peers' blogs, I find it useful if you want to have a general idea on how a specific topic is treated in books and which ones do you really need. But if you want to read the whole book, you will probably need to buy it.
I think "real" books are more comfortable than Internet, but Internet is faster, more precise, and funnier.
What do you think?
Bye, :-*
Martina
Hi Ilaria!
RispondiEliminaHow are you? I read your post and I think it is very interesting, especially as far as your method of searching is concerned.
It is simple, very fast and therefore useful for students like us who have to do many things and don't want to waste their time in unuseful information.
Personally, I prefer a book for studying but certainly the Web and all its tools are the best and quickest ones to look for books.
See you soon!
Bye:) Arianna