Web+Search+Checklist

When you're searching for an **authorative** and **factual** website to use for your research, there are **five** things you need to keep in mind:

** WHO ** **Who** wrote the pages and are they an expert? How can I find out more about the author? You may not always be able to get information regarding the author, but if the website is created by a museum, university or someone like the ABC, they have also checked all their facts. ** WHAT ** **What** does the author say is the purpose of the site? What else might the author have in mind for the site? What makes the site easy to use? What information is included and does this information differ from other sites? You need to make sure the site is not biased and that its for educational purposes. ** WHEN ** **When** was the site created? When was the site last updated? This point is not as important to when researching Ancient History, but keep it in mind. ** WHERE ** **Where** does the information come from? Where can I look to find out more about the sponsor of the site? If you can check the websites bibliography, it will tell you that they’re getting their information from authorities (unless of course, they are the authority!) ** WHY ** **Why** is this information useful for my purpose? Why should I use this information? Why is this page better than another? WHY is the most important part of the search process. Once you've found a website on The Aztecs, you need to make sure it actually gives you the information you need to do your task.

  Remember, Google isn't the only search engine around! **__Kids Click! __** is a great search engine that is run by librarians for students. It will direct you to authoritative, factual websites, and best of all they're not blocked!