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Discussion
Have students break into groups & either provide them with the URLs of the selected sites, or give each group paper print-outs on the topic of heroin. At this point, this is a whole class discussion.

Let’s say you do a Google search on “heroin” and click on this site: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/hero.html We are going to spend the rest of our time today trying to decide if this site is suitable, and if yes, for what?

How in-depth is your project?

• A 1-minute oral report on the latest trends in cell phone technology, a five-page paper on identity theft, or a 10-12 page paper on the conflicting reports of the Mai Lai massacre?

What level of research do you think http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/hero.html would be useful for? Why? What does this page have to offer?

If students don’t bring up these points: If reliable, could be used for background information for any of the above type of assignments. Gives other key words (horse, crank); related topics (history, treatments)

Think about what the purpose of the web page is—to convince the reader of what? To what type audience is the page trying to appeal?

Have groups come up with some ideas re: purpose, intention, and audience of http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/hero.html

If students don’t bring up these points: even though this page is aimed at children, it is written by a professor. The intent is not to encourage or discourage heroin use but to look at the effect heroin has on the brain.

Even if the information is questionable in some respect, think about for what type of research this site could be used.

Look at “The Black Table”, a blog on heroin:http://www.blacktable.com/ Could you use this in an academic paper?

If students don’t bring up these points: Could be used to show the viewpoint of a user. Offer other examples: the NRA site shows what members believe about gun control; Greenpeace shows how members think about the environment. Possibility of primary sources or original data collection

Compare your source http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/hero.html to others – other web sites, other online articles from databases – what can you tell about your site just from comparison?

Have groups compare these three sources:

Source we started with: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/hero.html
Another not so reliable web site on heroin: http://opioids.com/heroin.html
Article from EbscoHost: (persistent link) http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=4051129

After students brainstorm, write what they come up with on the board. Ask them what their final opinion is on the site we started out with: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/hero.html?

If you have questions or reservations, how can you satisfy them?

Corroboration of facts and concepts is essential for academic work.

Take examples from students.

One quick way to corroborate information is to compare it to a government web site, like: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/heroin/

If you’re not sure that a site is up to academic standards, read it for background information and then use library databases to find articles for your bibliography. Google may not be the short cut in this case—reviewed resources make professors happy.

Show students peer reviewed article: (persistent link to article, also from EbscoHost) http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=10302918

If students don’t bring up these points: the reference list where the information on for this article comes from; the original research element.

 

EXTRA POINT FOR DISCUSSION: this site encourages plagiarism on this topic. Essay # 001232 :: Heroin: Not Just Abused by Rock Stars @ http://www.essaysample.com/list/025.html