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Evaluating Sources Critically
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Evaluating Sources Critically
🔍 Part 1: Source Reliability
1. Which of these is the MOST reliable source for researching climate change in New Zealand?
A blog post by an anonymous writer
A research paper from NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research)
A social media post with no references
A Wikipedia article with no citations
2. What are the key signs of a credible online source? (Select all that apply)
Author's qualifications are clearly listed
Publication date is recent and relevant
Contains many advertisements
References and citations are provided
Website has a professional design
3. Which website domain is generally most trustworthy for academic research?
.com
.org
.edu
.net
4. What does "bias" mean in relation to sources?
Information that is completely false
A preference that influences how information is presented
Information that is too difficult to understand
Sources that are too old to be useful
📝 Part 2: Source Evaluation Practice
5. You find an article about the benefits of a new energy drink on the company's official website. What questions should you ask about this source?
6. Complete the sentence: When evaluating a source, I should check the _____________ to see when it was published and whether the information is still current.
7. List three things you would look for to determine if an author is qualified to write about their topic:
8. Explain why it's important to check multiple sources when researching a topic:
🎯 Part 3: Real-World Application
9. You're researching renewable energy options for a school project. Rank these sources from 1 (most reliable) to 4 (least reliable):
_____ A government report from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
_____ A news article from Stuff.co.nz with expert interviews
_____ A Facebook post from your friend's older brother
_____ An advertisement from a solar panel company
10. Create a simple checklist of 4 questions you would ask yourself when evaluating any online source:
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