Public domain videos covering American History. As the site itself explains: "Hollywood movies and even well-meaning doctrinarians often "get it wrong." That's OK too for we should let every American history resource challenge us to investigate further."
NOTE: For other, often copyrighted, videos see the library's American History on Video service.
C.A.R.S Evaluation
The CARS checklist for evaluating internet sources: c redibility, a ccuracy, r easonableness, and s upport.
Evaluator's role:
Librarian
Credibility
Evaluation Goal: an authoritative source, a source that supplies some good evidence that allows you to trust it.
Evidence of credibility:
Site provides contact information
Evidence of credibility:
Site has few, if any, grammatical and spelling errors
Accuracy
Evaluation Goal: a source that is correct today (not yesterday), a source that gives the whole truth.
Evidence of accuracy:
The site has been updated recently
Evidence of accuracy:
The site clearly states its purpose and/or intended audience
Reasonability
Evaluation Goal: a source that engages the subject thoughtfully and reasonably, concerned with the truth.
Evidence of reasonableness:
The site doesn't use inflammatory or abusive language
Evidence of reasonableness:
The site's sponsor and/or author doesn't have any obvious conflicts of interests
Support
Evaluation Goal: a source that provides convincing evidence for the claims made, a source you can triangulate (find at least two other sources that support it).
Evidence of support:
The site provides links to further information from a variety of sources.
Evidence of support:
The site provides a way to contact the author and/or sponsor.
