What is the website's domain? Sites that end with .gov, .edu, or .org are generally more trustworthy than sites ending with .com or .html. Remember, this is a general rule. Some .com sites are edited and curated to contain high-quality information, while some .edu sites are for student use and may be unreliable.
Who is the creator of the site? Check to see if the site names its creator. This can be a single person or an organization. Is the person or organization a reliable source of information for this particular topic? Keep in mind that anyone can create a web page.
Check for a date to determine the currency of the information. If a page is not up-to-date, you need to question whether the information on the page is up-to-date.
Check the accuracy of the information. Can you find similar information in another source? If multiple professionals in the field are saying the same thing, chances are the information presented is accurate.
Determine what you are citing in NoodleTools:
Is it a book? An article from a database? A webpage?
Don't forget: images used in a Google Slides presentation must be cited!
Be sure to fill out all 3 sections of the NoodleTools notecard:
Direct Quote: copy-and-paste or copy word-from-word from the source.
Summary: give a brief summary of the direct quote in your own words. Remember, you want to capture the main idea.
My Thoughts: connect the ideas mentioned in your quote/summary to your main argument. How does this prove that my pirate had the most impact on modern history?
Need help finding sources or using NoodleTools? Talk to Ms. Yu in the library or email her at ayu@episcopalacademy.org.