Never be afraid to sit awhile and think. -- Lorraine Hansberry
ICYouSee: T is for Thinking
A Guide to Critical Thinking About What You See on the World Wide Web
Ithaca College Library

John R. Henderson
phone: (607)-274-1961
jhenderson@ithaca.edu
Ithaca College Library


Peak Oil: a Web Site Evaluation Assignment

Consider the topic of the Oil Crisis. Take a brief look at all of the following five sites, and then select two to evaluate more thoroughly.

  1. Peak Oil: True or False?
  2. Peak Oil Overview
  3. Peak Oil Theory – “World Running Out of Oil Soon” – Is Faulty
  4. Peak Oil is Snake Oil!
  5. The End of the World as You Know It

When you evaluate the two sites, please address the questions after each point:

  • Make sure you are in the right place : Is this site a good source for the information you need? Was the page worth visiting?
  • When in doubt, doubt: Do you have good reason to believe that the information on the site is accurate? Are the facts documented?
  • Consider the source: Who are the authors and who is responsible for the site? What is their expertise?
  • Know what's happening: What is the site's purpose or point of view?
  • Distinguish Web pages from pages found on the Web: Was this page designed for the Web, or is it something else, such as a government document or a journal article?

Yes, it is difficult to be both thorough and brief at the same time, but please do your best.

Please check with your instructor how to submit your answers.
Note to Instructors: I gladly grant permission for you to use or adapt this assignment. Please let me know that you have used it or are planning on using it.

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ICYouSee T is for Thinking
Ithaca College Library
Last modified: July 1, 2009