How-To: Resources

[Txontaw]

As we do more and more research into this project, I feel it is necessary to make sure everyone knows how to get the best info possible for the topic. This thread tells you what's safe to use, and what to stay away from.

For Wikis:

Since Wikis are user-editable, you have to be careful of them. I find that as long as you are dealing with solid facts, you're okay. As soon as you stray into the realm of the questionable, you're treading on unstable ground.

     Examples:

     The Periodic Table is a great Resource. It is solid fact; there is nothing to question about what's stated.

     King Henry VI can also be used as a resource. It is unquestionable about what happened in his life.

     Global Warming is not a good resource, because it's a conspiracy theory (whether or not it actually exists).
          This information might be a little questionable as to whether it's accurate, or it's biased.

     Religions are also not a good place to tread, as their teachings can be interpreted many different ways.

For Other Sites:

Other sites are harder to tell. As a general rule, try and make sure that it covers both sides of a topic, and isn't too biased. If it calls the other side stupid, it isn't a good resource.

Blogs are generally a no-go, because it's bound to be their personal opinion mixed in, no matter how unbiased they try to be.

As for news sites, whether they're accurate or not is generally based on their party alliance. For example, if a site leans to the left, it's bound to have some Democratic propaganda mixed in. If a site leans to the right, it's bound to have some Republican propaganda mixed in. Only if it's known to be unbiased are you safe to use it as a resource for unsteady topics.