LibGuides: ENGL 101 English Composition 1 (Autoethnography Theme): Find websites

Why websites?

image source below

The web is a great resource for:

Government information
International sources
Up-to-the-minute and local news
Local resources
Organizations involved in an issue
Statistics
Opinion
Images and video
and much more

Image Source: "Internet1" by Rock1997 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Evaluate websites with the CRAAP test

Here's a tool for evaluating not just websites, but all information!

CRAAP test

But is it a good website?

Evaluating Sources

How can you determine if you have a "good" web site?

Think critically! Don't just take the first result in Google! Think about the following:

Authority and Accuracy

Who publishes the website? Is this a well-known or respected institution?
Is there contact information for authors of the website content? What is their background or credentials?
Is it a commercial site (.com), a government site (.gov), an educational site (.edu), a non-profit or other organization (.org)? How does this affect the information presented?
Do other reliable sites link to this one?
Are facts, ideas or references credible and backed up by citations to the original sources?

Purpose and Objectivity

What is the purpose of this site: to sell, inform, entertain or persuade?
Who sponsors this website? What is their agenda or goal?
For what audience is this site written?
Is there an explicit or hidden bias behind the information presented?
Is there advertising on the site? Does this influence information found on the site?
Are arguments well-reasoned and supported?

Currency

Is the information on the page up-to-date?
Is the page updated regularly?
Are there dead links?

Key Web Resources

Useful websites

The following web sites (and search engines) are a place to start, though they offer just a hint of what's out there.

Statistics & Government Resources

USA.gov
The portal to all official U.S. Government agencies, departments, publications, and more.
U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Census data reflects the demographic make-up of the U.S., with figures on family size and structure, income, health insurance coverage, and much, much more.
538DataLab
Founded by statistics whiz Nate Silver, 538 journalists bring the world of statistics to life
UN Statistics Division
The homepage for all topics under the UN's international statistics

Select Research Centers /Public Policy Think Tanks:

Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides reports and statistics on the issues, attitudes and social trends shaping America and the world.
The Annenberg Public Policy Center
The Annenberg Public Policy Center performs research in the fields of political communication, information and society, the media and more
Kaiser Family Foundation
Kaiser is a non-profit organization focusing on national health issues, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy. Unlike grant-making foundations, Kaiser develops and runs its own policy analysis, journalism and communications programs, sometimes in partnership with major news organizations. We serve as a non-partisan source of facts, analysis and journalism for policymakers, the media, the health policy community and the public.
Washington State Institute for Public Policy
Policy areas include child welfare, criminal justice, education, health care, mental health, government, the state economy, and employment/welfare. Each topic links to recent studies and analysis.

Specific Social Issues:

Center on Reinventing Public Education
"CRPE engages in independent research and policy analysis on a range of K-12 public education reform issues, including choice & charters, finance & productivity, teachers, urban district reform, leadership, and state & federal reform."
The Factbook: Eye-Opening Memos on Everything Family
Excellent information on topics like Family Roles and Responsibilities, Word and Play, Children, Love and Marriage, Economic Issues, Families in Crisis, and more.
Menstuff
An online information source on all kinds of topics for men
U.S. Department of Education
Research, statistics, news, policy, and more information on education in the United States.
National Institute of Health Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
Studies of the impact of social issues on key health concerns
West Coast Poverty Center
Run through the UW, the Center researches the causes of poverty and effective means to reduce poverty.
Women and Develpment Resources on the Internet
A directory of the Gender and Technology Network
XYonline
XY describes its focus as men, masculinities, and gender politics.

Spotlight on Pew Research Center

Using Pew Research Center

"Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. We conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis and other data-driven social science research. We do not take policy positions." - Pew Research Center

Quote source: Pew Research Center. "About Pew Research Center." Pew Research Center, www.pewresearch.org/about/. Accessed 19 July 2020.

Accessing Pew Research Center

Use the link below to find credible reports, articles, and statistics on such larger topics as U.S. Politics, Media & News, Social Trends, Internet & Tech, Science and more!

Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides reports and statistics on the issues, attitudes and social trends shaping America and the world.

Browse Topics on Pew Research Center

Browse Pew Researcher topics to find research on social identity groups and issues. Think about different entry points to your topic.

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Following Links

This page on Educational Attainment (in the image below) links to four other reports with current, impartial, and reliable analysis. Be sure to follow the leads you get as you search - and to keep track of them!

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An Example

The image below shows the start of a report on college enrollment among Hispanic Americans.

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