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Drama: Theatre Styles

Google Search/Website Evaluation

Evaluate your selection before using:

1. Authority?

  • An individual? An organization? An educational institution?
  • What education or experience makes them an expert?

2. Objectivity?

  • What is the purpose of the site?
  • Basic information? Persuasion? Selling something?
  • What is the motive? Beware of bias (especially from .orgs)

3. Currency?

  • When was the site created? Last updated?
  • Is this current enough for my research?
  • Do the links work?

4. Content Quality?

  • Where does the information come from?
  • Does the author credit sources or give references?
    • References are different than links to “additional information”!

Theatre Styles Slide Share

The Research Process

“Google is not a synonym for research.” 
   Dan Brown, The Lost Symbol

re·search

Systematic investigation or inquiry aimed at contributing to knowledge of a theory, topic, etc., by careful consideration, observation, or study of a subject. http://www.oed.com/
 
Remember, when you are conducting research, the two most important questions to ask are:

WHAT'S MY QUESTION?  HOW MUCH DO I KNOW?

Depending on your question and how much you know about your topic will determine which resource is the best one for you to use.

If you know 0-25% of your topic, choose a REFERENCE source.

A REFERENCE could be a print encyclopedia, atlas, dictionary or thesaurus, or a digital source like a database or World Book Online. Here you will learn the basics of your topic, fast facts and vocabulary words that you can use later as search terms.

 

If you know 25-50% of your topic, choose a BOOK.

A BOOK could be a print book, an e-book, a digital textbook, or an audio book. A BOOK in any form is usually more specific than a REFERENCE source. Here you will add details to the basic information you have already learned and begin to connect your basic facts together. Remember, you may have to look in the table of contents or index of the book to find out where information is located specific to your topic.

 

If you know 50-75% of your topic, choose a DATABASE from the approved list on this page.

DATABASES are organized, searchable sources of information, often available only with a subscription. Beyond that, a database can be anything: images, videos, articles from magazines or videos, or collections of print encyclopedia information. Even though you access them through the INTERNET, DATABASES have more specific information than what you will find just GOOGLING your topic. Here you will find more current information on your topic using the vocabulary words your learned from your REFERENCE and BOOK sources as your SEARCH terms. Ask us for the login and password information so you can access EBSCO at home.

 

If you know 75-100% of your topic, choose a SEARCH ENGINE like GOOGLE on the INTERNET. Use the SEARCH terms and phrases from your DATABASE searches in your GOOGLE search. Use what you know about your topic already to weed out useless or wrong information. But first, check the approved Featured Websites located on each page.

Specialized Search Engines

Featured websites that have been vetted