Thursday, December 6, 2007

Assignment 4 - Web research tips

This week, you will be asked once again to do some research on the web. However, this time, you will have to be a bit more careful about the sites that you find on the internet. You can do this by investigating the sources of the information on the sites. Here's how:
1) TRUNCATION: erase all of the characters of the original homepage URL. (Example: www.website.com/info/blahblahblah.etc - everything after .com should be erased. Then, hit return to see which organization has published the site!)
2) ABOUT US: Go to the bottom of the page and click on the words "about us" or words that indicate who might be behind the site.
3) GOOGLE the author: If there is a name on the article, write the name with inverted commas ("name surname")on the google search line and see if that person has any authority to write about that subject. You would be surprised at how much you can learn about people!
4) BIBLIOGRAPHY: Any article, especially about scientific subjects, should have a bibliography, or at least a list of sources. If a research group is named, google it!
Just to show you how it works, let's use this example:
I googled "Martin Luther King", and then chose one of the first sites on my screen. The address is http://www.martinlutherking.org/articles.html
If you follow the steps in order, you will be surprised! Then, do the same thing with a new site chosen from the clusty cloud. When you have investigated the site/article, write to me and tell me whether you think the information is likely to be reliable, false, or something in-between. Good luck!

13 comments:

Maria Laura said...

Dear Teacher,
I chose the word “Food Products” from the clusty cloud and I clicked the link “Weight, Loss” on the left. Then I chose the link to a document entitled “The Facts About Weight Loss Products and Programs”.
In this document, the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration want to inform consumers about the falseness of many products (foods or not), which are touted as weight-loss wonders.
The authors explain clearly the lack of scientific evidence about the effectiveness of some food ingredients, devices, dietetic programs on weight loss.

After I had red the article, I practiced the truncation, which led me to the homepage of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition by the U.S.FDA.
I couldn’t find the link “about us”, but on the top of the page I found the link to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website.

This kind of document didn’t permit me to read the bibliography or the author’s name, so I came back to the list of results to choose another link.

I opened an article about herbal or dietary supplements which could help us to lose weight.
The text was published by CNN.com, but it came from MayoClinic.com.
So I clicked the link to this website and I looked for information about the managers.
I found the link “about this web site”, which brought me to a page when I could read who they are, what’s their policies, business opportunities and, in particular, their media sources: the website was opened to give people access to the experience and knowledge of more than 3000 physicians and scientists working for Mayo Clinic.

I don’t know if I would believe that a so high number of experts can be employed by a medical center or a medical organisation…therefore, I think I can be reasonably sceptic about the information I have found.

Goodbye,
ML

DP said...

Dear Maria Laura,
Thank you for doing such thorough job of investigating this site. One of the things I did not make clear in this assignment (mea culpa!) is that the URL can already tell you a lot! I'll bet that the US Food and Drug Admistration had a .gov at the end of the URL, right? This means that it is a government site, and depending on your opinion of the government, it may or may not have good information! As for the Mayo clinic, it really does exist, and it is considered one of the foremost authorities in the world for medical information. Of course, it is still up to you to decide whether the information is good or not...

Ornella said...

Dear Teacher,
I chose the word “Nutrition” from the clusty cloud link and I clicked on the link “Vegetarian Diets for Children – Right from the Start”.
This article has been published in http://www.thevegetariansite.com/, and is taken by a book named “Simply Vegan”, 3rd ed., 1999, pgs. 194-195.
This article outlines the vegetarian diet for children, giving important suggestions about nutrition for “infants” (4-5 months and 6-8 months) and “children” (1-4 years, 4-6 years, 7-12 years).
The author of “Simply Vegan” is Debra Wasserman: Co-Coordinator of The Vegetarian Resource Group.
Bye bye.

luisa said...

Hi Teacher,
I chose the word “Food Products” from the clusty cloud and I clicked the link “Weight Loss” on the left. Then, I chose the link to a document entitled Setting Goals for Weight Loss.
This article has been published in www.consumer.gov/weightloss/setgoals.htm

In this document ,it says that there are lots of reasons for people who are overweight or obese to lose weight. To be healthier. To look better. To feel better. To have more energy.
No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping the weight off. In fact, losing even five to 10 percent of your weight is the kind of goal that can help improve your health.
Successful weight loss and weight management should address all of these factors. And that's the reason to ignore products and programs that promise quick and easy results, or that promise permanent results without permanent changes in your lifestyle. Any ad that says you can lose weight without lowering the calories you take in and/or increasing your physical activity is selling fantasy and false hope. In fact, some people would call it fraud. Furthermore, the use of some products may not be safe.
Fad diets that ignore the principles of the Dietary Guidelines may result in short term weight loss, but may do so at the risk of your health. How you go about managing your weight has a lot to do with your long-term success. Unless your health is seriously at risk due to complications from being overweight or obese, gradual weight loss should be your rule — and your goal.
Here's how to do it:
• Check with your doctor. Make sure that your health status allows lowering your caloric intake and increasing your physical activity.
• Follow a calorie-reduced, but balanced diet that provides for as little as one or two pounds of weight loss a week. Be sure to include at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, lean meat and low fat dairy products. It may not produce headlines, but it can reduce waistlines. It's not "miracle" science — just common sense. Most important, it's prudent and healthy.
• Make time in your day for some form of physical activity. Start by taking the stairs at work, walking up or down an escalator, parking at the far end of a lot instead of cruising around for the closest spot. Then, assuming your physician gives the okay, gradually add some form of regular physical activity that you enjoy. Walking is an excellent form of physical activity that almost everyone can do.
• Consider the benefits of moderate weight loss. There's scientific evidence that losing five to 10 percent of your weight and keeping it off can benefit your health — lower your blood pressure, for example. If you are 5 feet 6 inches tall and weigh 180 pounds, and your goal weight is 150, losing five to 10 percent (nine to 18 pounds) is beneficial. When it comes to successful weight loss and weight management, steady and slow can be the way to go.
A lifestyle based on healthy eating and regular physical activity can be a real lifesaver.
I think I can be reasonably sceptic about the information I have found.


See you later Luisa

simona said...

Dear Teacher,
I chose the word “obesity” from the clusty cloud and I clicked the link “obesity and overweight”. Then I chose the link to a document entitled “NHANES Data on the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Adults: United States, 2003–2004” .
This study shows that an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. the NHANES 2003-2004 data for persons age 20 years and over suggest an increase in the proportion of obese adults in the United States, where the estimated age-adjusted prevalence moved upward from a previous level of 23 percent in NHANES III to a new level of approximately 32 percent. Results are obtain with an interview to participant and with a physical examination. During the physical examination, conducted in mobile examination centers, height and weight were measured as part of a more comprehensive set of body measurements. These measures were taken by trained health technicians, using standardized measuring procedures and equipment.
The text was published by “National Center for Health Statistics”, but I didn’t find the complete article.
In the end of page there is written: for more detailed estimates see “Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 295:1549-1555. 2006”.
Bye Bye
simona

Anonymous said...

Dear Teacher,
I chose the word “obesity” from the clusty cloud and I clicked the link “obesity and overweight”. Then I chose the link to a document entitled “NHANES Data on the Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among Adults: United States, 2003–2004” .
This study shows that an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. the NHANES 2003-2004 data for persons age 20 years and over suggest an increase in the proportion of obese adults in the United States, where the estimated age-adjusted prevalence moved upward from a previous level of 23 percent in NHANES III to a new level of approximately 32 percent. Results are obtain with an interview to participant and with a physical examination. During the physical examination, conducted in mobile examination centers, height and weight were measured as part of a more comprehensive set of body measurements. These measures were taken by trained health technicians, using standardized measuring procedures and equipment.
The text was published by “National Center for Health Statistics”, but I didn’t find the complete article.
In the end of page there is written: for more detailed estimates see “Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA 295:1549-1555. 2006”.
Bye Bye
simona

Susy said...

Hi Teacher,
I chose the word “Vegetarian” from the clusty cloud link and I clicked on the link “Macrobiotic Diet-aternative Medicine- Vegetarian-health”.
I didn’t need to erase the characters of the original homepage, because the link is URL yet.

In the home page of this link, www.macrobiotic.com , there is a brief description of significance of the word “macrobiotic” that means great or long life. The macrobiotic is a lifestyle aimed at maximising the vital energy using especially the diet.
Then I clicked on the word “contact” and I found the name of a senior counselor.
I googled " Jeanette Thomas-Kozinski", and then chose the third site on my screen: http://junior.apk.net/~rncjr/mb.html but there aren’t information about this macrobiotic teacher.
So, I chose the fourth site. I found a lot of information about her husband

John Kozinski that work with her.
He is a senior macrobiotic counselor, teacher and researcher for 30 year.
So, I think that Jeanette Thomas-Kozinski is just a collaborator of her husband but I don’t think that she have some skills to do this kind of work.

Maria Rosaria said...

Hi Teacher!
I chose the word “Children” from the clusty cloud link and I clicked the link “Obesity” on the left. Then I chose the link “Diet foods for children may lead to obesity”, This article has been published in http://www.yoursdaily.com/ and talk about the serious problem of the obesity of the children in particular as regards diet foods and drinks may lead to overeating and obesity.
This is a study from the University of Alberta (U.S.A.) and has been published in The Academic Journal Obesity. A team of researchers contends that animals learn to connect the taste of food with the amount of caloric energy it provides, and children who consume low-calorie versions of foods that are normally high in calories may develop distorted connections between taste and calorie content, leading them to overeat as they grow up for this reason that the use of diet food and drinks from an early age into adulthood may induce overeating and gradual weight gain through the taste conditioning process. Then Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters and I fully agree with this study.
Bye Bye
Rosaria

Maria said...

Dear teacher
I chose the term “cancer” from the clusty cloud and then the link “Cancer treatment” on the left of the page. The Cluster “Cancer treatment” contains many documents and I clicked on the “Cancer Health Supplements Discussion” one.
This article has been published in: www.cancerblogandforum.com.
The document speaks about the diet and lifestyle for cancer natural treatment: it suggests to limit the diet to fresh food eating fresh fruits and vegetables which are high in antioxidants.
It also indicates to avoid fried foods, margarines and animal fat, alcohol and carbonated drinks and it delineates the importance of the water during the day.
In the first part of the document, the author reports a list of health supplements, high in essential nutrients, which we should consider as an excellent cancer natural treatment.
I think that the diet and lifestyle may be important in the primary prevention of these diseases but I get on well with the author when he says that “There is no known single magic cure for cancer”.
This article was posted on February 6, 2006 2:08 PM by Paul Newland and there is his short description too. At the end it indicates the Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Newland

Then after I had read the document I found the informations as your indications:
1. TRUNCATION: I had erased everything after “.com” and the home page of Cancer blog and forum appeared where it was written that the blog is designed to keep track of the latest cancer research and to provide a venue for discussing cancer and cancer research.
2. ABOUT US: on the page there isn’t a bottom to click on the word “about us” or a similar one, but there is on the right a part where you can make a research for the author, the article or its date of pubblication.
3. GOOGLE THE AUTHOR: if I put the author’s name on the google search line I find that Paul Newland is a health writer, sports training consultant and martial arts instructor and manages the Global-Longevity.com website. He is the author of numerous health information books and guides, including the Wellness Report, The Ultimate Antioxidant Report, The Selenium Report, The Ultimate Nutrient Guide and The Essential Fatty Acid Report and The Ultimate Sports Nutrition Guide - available Free (for a limited time) through Global-Longevity.com.
4. BIBLIOGRAPHY: about the bibliography the article I chose presented only the author’s name and its link as releted source.

Ok teacher it has been very interesting to investigate the site/article…..Thank you bye!

maria said...

Dear teacher
I chose the term “cancer” from the clusty cloud and then the link “Cancer treatment” on the left of the page. The Cluster “Cancer treatment” contains many documents and I clicked on the “Cancer Health Supplements Discussion” one.
This article has been published in: www.cancerblogandforum.com.
The document speaks about the diet and lifestyle for cancer natural treatment: it suggests to limit the diet to fresh food eating fresh fruits and vegetables which are high in antioxidants.
It also indicates to avoid fried foods, margarines and animal fat, alcohol and carbonated drinks and it delineates the importance of the water during the day.
In the first part of the document, the author reports a list of health supplements, high in essential nutrients, which we should consider as an excellent cancer natural treatment.
I think that the diet and lifestyle may be important in the primary prevention of these diseases but I get on well with the author when he says that “There is no known single magic cure for cancer”.
This article was posted on February 6, 2006 2:08 PM by Paul Newland and there is his short description too. At the end it indicates the Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Newland

Then after I had read the document I found the informations as your indications:
1. TRUNCATION: I had erased everything after “.com” and the home page of Cancer blog and forum appeared where it was written that the blog is designed to keep track of the latest cancer research and to provide a venue for discussing cancer and cancer research.
2. ABOUT US: on the page there isn’t a bottom to click on the word “about us” or a similar one, but there is on the right a part where you can make a research for the author, the article or its date of pubblication.
3. GOOGLE THE AUTHOR: if I put the author’s name on the google search line I find that Paul Newland is a health writer, sports training consultant and martial arts instructor and manages the Global-Longevity.com website. He is the author of numerous health information books and guides, including the Wellness Report, The Ultimate Antioxidant Report, The Selenium Report, The Ultimate Nutrient Guide and The Essential Fatty Acid Report and The Ultimate Sports Nutrition Guide - available Free (for a limited time) through Global-Longevity.com.
4. BIBLIOGRAPHY: about the bibliography the article I chose presented only the author’s name and its link as releted source.

Ok teacher it has been very interesting to investigate the site/article…..thank you bye!

Anonymous said...

Dear Teacher,
I chose the word “Diet and nutrition” from the clusty cloud link, and I cliked diet and health.net.
The article explains briefly the concept of calories and outlines the importance of balance between the energy intake and energy expenditure to maintain a physiological body weight.

In addition,it explains the meaning of energy requirement which has been defined as the level of energy intake from food which will balance energy expenditure when the individual has a body size and composition, and a level of physical activity, consistent with long-term good health.

I haven’t been able to find the name of the author. It has been published on diet-and-health.net a site giving advice about nutrition and diet.

Goodbye

Ilario

Giovanna Garofalo said...

Dear Teacher in this exercise i chose "diet and Nutrition" on the clusty cloud box and, then, the site of the American Heart Association. Here there were a lot of interesting articles about diet, fats and lifestyle.
After that I practiced the truncation, which led me to the homepage and, to get more information, I chose "about us".
Here there are all the necessary informations about the association including the annual report of 2007where it's possible to find not only numbers and statistics but also a detailed descriprions of all the most importants heart diseases.
Giovanna Garofalo
084/22
A.S.

antonio said...

I chose the word “Pyramid” from the clusty cloud and I clicked the link “The Food Guide Pyramid” on the top. Then I chose the link “about us”.
KidsHealth is a site on the Web that contains doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence.
Neil Izenberg is the editor in chief and founder of KidsHealth and he works at Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care in Nemours Children's Clinic.
In Google scholar I found his works like “Use of a Preanesthetic Video for Facilitation of Parental Education and Anxiolysis Before Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery”. I think that he knows how parents can communicate also nutritional guidances to their children.

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