One great thing about the Internet is that anyone can publish a web site. This, of course, can also be a negative when you have to decide if the information you find is accurate, credible and balanced (and can be used in your classes). Recent studies have found that 46% of respondents judged (or misjudged) the credibility of a site based on the "design look" such as layout, font size and color schemes ¹. But a pretty site does not necessarily contain accurate information! YOU have to look at more than the design, read everything carefully and evaluate the content critically.

Pick one group of sites from Group A, Group B or Group C. Spend about five minutes evaluating the web sites and compare the content between the two sites on the same topic. Then answer the questions below.

Group A: Facts about Smoking and Children

1. http://www.philipmorrisusa.com/en/our_initiatives/ysp.asp
2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/smokingandyouth.html

Group B: Primary Documents about Slavery in the United States

1. http://www.claytoncramer.com/primary.html
2. http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/CivilWarRecon.html

Group C: Graduation Rates of College Athletes

1. http://www.ncaa.org/grad_rates/
2. http://studentwebs.coloradocollege.edu/~a_soto/EC390/