CRJ251: Criminology (Mayhew): Web Resources
Searching the Web
Searching the web takes skills in evaluation and research. Use the suggested credible websites below, or conduct your own research using the evaluation tips on the right.
Searching Credible Websites
Suggested Websites
- Arrest and Trial of Lizzie Borden: Topics in Chronicling AmericaLizzie Borden was arrested August 11, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. This guide provides access to material related to “Lizzie Borden” in the Chronicling America digital collection of historic newspapers.
- Arrest and Trial of Lizzie Borden: Topics in Chronicling AmericaThe links below provide access to a sampling of articles from historic newspapers that can be found in Chronicling America. You can further explore the topic of "the arrest and trial of Lizzie Borden" using the following search strategies:
- Lizzie Borden Didn’t Kill Her Parents (Maybe)Smithsonian magazine
- Lizzie Borden Trial (1893)an educational and non-commercial site maintained at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School.
Website Evaluation
While conducting research on the web, it is imperative to evaluate the website in question for authority, documentation, currency, and bias. Doing so will ensure that you are using the most credible information possible to support your thesis.
Authority and Accuracy
Who produced the site? Are they a credible source? What is the purpose of the site? Why was it created? Is the person, organization, or group qualified to write this content? What is the domain of the URL?
- .com or.biz - a business or commercial website
- .edu - an educational institution
- .gov or .mil - a U.S. military or government website
- .net - a personal website
- .org - a website for a not-for-profit organization
Documentation
Is there adequate documentation for factual statements? Is the documentation reliable, verifiable from a second source? Is there enough information to cite this information in a paper (author, title, source, date)?
Currency
Is the information up to date? When was it created, or last edited? Are the links up to date or dead? Is the author using outdated statistics?
Objectivity and Bias
Is the document biased or slanted? Are there few or no logical errors such as appeal to authority or circular reasoning? If you found this information a printed source, would you trust it?