Though you should try to stick with library resources for much of your research, there are resources available online that will be helpful for your research project. But how do you know what resources to trust? Once you learn how to evaluate online information, you can use the skills whenever you use the internet. The series of short videos below teach you valuable skills and are well worth taking the time to watch.
There are many sites you can trust online. Here are just a few examples:
Science is enormously complicated, and an individual research report is just one piece of a larger puzzle. Definitively quoting one story that seems to support your argument while ignoring all the others that do not–whether deliberately or not—will keep you from fully understanding your topic.
Solution
Read widely enough about your subject to make sure you understand it as completely as possible before you report on it. By comparing the work of the experts in a given field, you will develop a clearer picture of what is known and unknown, as well as which areas of inquiry are likely to be most productive.
An expert in the field of geochemistry likely knows more about hydraulic fracturing than a random commenter on an internet message board. An atmospheric scientist will know more about climate science than a journalist, an economist, or a meteorologist. Don’t give all opinions about your subject equal weight.
Solution
Respect expertise, education, and prestige. Investigate authors and their professional affiliations in order to determine authoritativeness and expertise.
False Equivalence
False equivalence occurs when someone falsely equates an act by one party to the act of another without taking into account all of the underlying differences which may make the comparison inaccurate or invalid. Many times false equivalent arguments are based on anecdotal evidence, not science.
Solution
Always make sure that the comparison you wish to make is supported by the facts of each instance. Also, try not to let your own biases color your interpretation of the facts.
Below is a series of online verification skills videos. Watch the videos and follow the quick tips and tricks to verifying information you find online.
Videos provided by News Wise.