Probing and Using Website Resources Essay Example for Free

Probing and Using Website Resources Essay One vital consideration in writing any factual paper is the quality of evidence provided to prove a particular point in the paper. Whether it be an essay, a research, a thesis or a term paper or a dissertation, or any other form of scholarly writing, one should consider the veracity of information provided. To do this, one should probe not just the quality of the information but also the source from which the data came from. More often than not, one’s primary source of information is the internet. How then could one determine which information should be considered authentic and credible and which should be considered as junk? A number of reference materials are available online: e-books, books converted to e-texts, periodicals (newspapers, magazines, trade and industry journals, scholarly journals), essays, articles. In deciding from what particular internet page should a bit of information be lifted, one should determine the credibility of source, evaluate the accuracy or objectivity of the material, trace history of the source to ascertain the information’s relevance to current situations, and establish the reliability of the materials to be cited. To have a clearer understanding of the process, we shall examine two web sites linking to specific pages that expound on gender difference and related article. Following are the sites that will be the foci of the evaluation: 1. Wang, Jiongjiong, et al. (2007) â€Å"Gender difference in neural response to psychological stress. † Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 2007 2(3):227-239. Retrieved March 26, 2009 from Oxford Journals Website: http://scan. oxfordjournals. org/cgi/content/full/2/3/227. 2. Brescoll Victoria. (2008, April 4). â€Å"People Accept Anger In Men, But Women Who Lose Their Temper Are Seen As Less Competent, Study Shows. † ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬ /releases/2008/04/080402152707. htm Probing and Using Website Resources 2 Since the first website is an online facility for the Oxford University Press, hence materials that are available in the site are likewise available in print. Scholarly journals usually reports results of original research, contains an in-depth analysis of the subject matter (hence present lengthy articles), are intended for academic audience and usually presents materials that have been reviewed by other people who have authority over the subject. Scholarly journals likewise contain academic level book reviews. Like any printed scholarly journals oxfordjournals. com presents the article with all the vital elements: complete research headings (abstract, body of the research, supplementary data and the reference section). Researchers, academicians, professors and scholars are the usual authors of articles in a scholarly journal. In this website, reference to the credibility of the authors are indicated by their other writings available either in print or on-line in the reference section at the end of the article. Graphics are likewise provided to better explain certain points in the research (i. e. charts, table, formulas, and diagrams). What makes the article more trustworthy is the fact that other materials where the article has been cited were also mentioned at the latter part of the page. What makes the material user friendly is the use of hyperlinks that make it easier for users to navigate throughout the site with ease. The second website is that of ScienceDaily. com, which features a Yale University psychologist’s article on the relating other’s perception of a person’s competency and general favorable acceptance to gender-related display of emotional response. In contrast to the other website, the writing style used in presenting the ideas of the writer is less formal, concise and more direct forward. Furthermore, general information about the Probing and Using Website Resources 3 subject and the results of a particular study that serves as the author’s supporting material. No proper reference to the source had been mentioned however, thus limiting a researcher’s grasp of the complete idea or result of the study presented in the article. In addition to this, there were no graphs or other representations to further explain the subject are seen on the page, except for graphical illustrations of other sites and that have linked to the site for marketing purposes and hyperlinks used basically to promote an institution, a program or other articles. These advertisements makes reading less centered on the article and more directed to other sites promoting other products. All these made the previously explored site more credible than this site. Considering the evaluation, I prefer the first website over the second for the following reasons: 1) the first website presents overall credibility on the subject matter being presented; 2) although the 2nd website is easier to read and can be read in less than five minutes, the first website presented the result of the research in part (sub-headings, hyperlinks and color coded divisions [gray-colored boxes to separate graphics and sub-headings from the main content]), which made it easier to understand although would take more time to finish; 3) lesser advertisements are seen on the second website making the reading process more directed to the material; and 4) site-related inquiries (i. e. feedback and subscription forms) are placed strategically within the page. After evaluating these cites, I realized that not all data that may be seen on the net should immediately be considered credible. One should be responsible in determining the credibility of the source of the material as well as the reliability of the data presented in the material. Probing and Using Website Resources References: Wang, Jiongjiong, et al. (2007) â€Å"Gender difference in neural response to psychological stress. † Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Retrieved March 26, 2009 from Oxford Journals Website: http://scan. oxfordjournals. org/cgi/content/full/2/3/227. Yale University (2008, April 4). People Accept Anger In Men, But Women Who Lose Their Temper Are Seen As Less Competent, Study Shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 26, 2009, from http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬ /releases/2008/04/080402152707. htm