LAB 8

Purpose:

In today’s ever-more connected world, information is easy to find, but knowing if that information is accurate can be difficult. This is particularly true for complex and politically-charged topics, like biotechnology and genetically-modified organisms used in agriculture. While your classes can help inform you about the scientific basis for genetic modification and its risks, you will not always have access to your professors and will need to build your skills in sorting the quality of informational resources. Therefore, this assignment will ask you to evaluate the quality of two websites of your choice regarding GMOs. The goal is not necessarily to identify a website with “bad” information, but to be able to identify what each website is seeking to do and what information can be gained.

Task:

What you need to do

1. Familiarize yourself with the CRAAP test method of evaluating source quality on the Holman Library website: https://libguides.greenriver.edu/evaluatingsources/criterionLinks to an external site..
2. Download the Word document linked at the bottom of the library website and copy the table so that your Word document now has 2 copies of the table in it.
3. Find a university or governmental agency website (ends with .gov or .edu) about GMOs. Paste the link above one of the tables, then fill out the table for that website.
4. Use a search engine to find a non-university or governmental agency website (no .gov or .edu endings) about GMOs. This can be a website you believe is reliable or unreliable. Paste the link above the other table, then fill out the table for that website.
5. Write a summary about the quality and usefulness of the two websites you used. Your summary should be written in complete sentences and be grammatically correct, and should be no longer than ½ page, single-spaced, 12 pt font.
6. Turn in the 2 tables with links and summary as a PDF file.

Why you need to do this

Being able to identify high-quality sources of information online is a vital skill, both for academic research and for navigating today’s online world. To identify high-quality information, you need to be able to recognize more than just inaccurate information, but also how the presentation and choice of specific information can be used for manipulation. Furthermore, every website can provide valuable information and insight, even if it is seeking to spread misinformation or change public opinion. These skills, coupled with your skills in identifying and reading scientific literature, will help you make healthy choices and be an informed citizen.