Web Search Evaluation & Citation

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
   1. Course Background
   2. Prepare to Search
   3. Search Examples
2. Learn
   1. Searching
   2. Subject Guides
   3. Subject Guides Example
   4. Web Directories
   5. Web Directories Example
   6. Search Engines
   7. Search Engine Example
   8. MetaSearch Engines
   9. MetaSearch Engine Example
   10. Preparing to Search
   11. Think about your topic
   12. List Search Terms
   13. Communicating with Search Tools
   14. Search Operator: AND
   15. Search Operator: OR
   16. Search Operator: NOT
   17. Advanced Searches
   18. Evaluation
   19. Finding Information
   20. Validating Sources
   21. Using Alexa
   22. Using Wayback Machine
   23. Using Search Engines
   24. Citation
   25. Online Citation Tools
   26. Starting Noodle Tools
   27. Using Noodle
   28. Using Citation Machine
   29. Using Source Aid
3. Practice
   1. Searching
   2. Evaluation
   3. Citation
4. Discuss
   1. WikiSpaces Discussion
5. Reflect & Assess
6. Collaborate & Contribute
   1. Feedback
7. Extend

Citation

Citation

Citation is the action that forces the evaluation of web. A web resource cannot be cited without noting who wrote it and what they wrote it for.

While there are a variety of formats and citation styles required for different educational disciplines, the idea is largely the same; to write down the information that you evaluated the web site with. It may be able to convince ourselves that a web site looks good and should be used as a resource if we only look at its surface, it becomes more difficult to do when we actually have to write down who the author is and what their credentials are.

Citation is a good habit to get into, not only does it force one to critically evaluate material found on the internet, it also provides a trail of where one has been. It makes it easy to find the information again, and it enables those that we turn our work into to find it as well.

There are some online tools that make it easier to cite information and put it into the correct format. Some of these tools allow you to save the information on the site itself, so it stays organized for later use.

There are nuances to citation that are not included here, so for a formal paper, consult the guidelines, the APA style manual is itself 493 pages long, but this short guide will get you in the right direction.

Below you will see some quick references for different citation styles: APA; Chicago; MLA and Turabian.

Citing eRources - Different Styles

APA

• Author, Last name, first initial. (Date published if available; n.d.--no date-- if not).
• Title of article. Title of web site . Retrieved date. From URL.
• Separate items of citations with periods
• Use hanging indents following the first line
• List entries alphabetically by author, if no author list title first

Example:

Landsberger, J. (n.d.). Citing Websites. Study Guides and Strategies. Retrieved May

13, 2005, from http://www.studygs.net/citation.htm .

Chicago

• Author, Webpage title. date/year published, URL (date accessed )
  -- quotes " " parentheses ( )
• List entries alphabetically by author's name in the order of appearance in the document
• Separate items of entries by periods
• Use hanging indents following the first line
• Date accessed is included

Example:

Landsberger, Joseph. 2004. Citing Websites. http://www.studygs.net/citation.htm

(accessed May 13, 2005).

MLA

• List entries alphabetically by author (if no author list title first)
• Separate entries with periods
• General format:
  Author, last name first. "Webpage title." Website title. Date published/updated. Organization/publisher. Date accessed. < URL >

Example:

Landsberger, Joseph. "Citing Websites." Study Guides and Strategies . 12 May 2005

University of X. 13 May 2005. < http://www.studygs.net/citation.htm >.

Turabian

• List entries alphabetically by author (if no author list title first)
• Separate items of entries by periods
• General format:
  Author last name, first initial. Published date. Webpage title. Publisher and location. Accessed date. Available from URL.
• indent after first line by five spaces
• n.d. refers to no published date being found

Example:

Landsberger, Joseph. 12 May 2005. "Citing Websites." Study Guides and Strategies

University of X. 13 May 2005. < http://www.studygs.net/citation.htm >.