Prentice Hall Guide to English on the Internet

by M. Neil Browne

• ISBN13: 9780130194848
• ISBN10: 0130194840
• Copyright: 2000-12-01
• Publisher: Pearson Publications

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Finding Your Way	1	(5)
Getting Started	1	(1)
Searching the World	2	(4)
Staying In Touch	6	(8)
A Mailbox in Cyberspace	6	(3)
A Place to Call Home	9	(3)
A Calendar of Events	12	(1)
Something Called Privacy	12	(2)
Is More Information a Plus? It Can Be	14	(5)
Is More Information Better Information?	15	(1)
Assuming that Information Is Dependable	16	(1)
You Control Information; It Doesn't Control You	16	(1)
The Need for Critical Thinking	17	(2)
What Argument Does the Site Make?	19	(5)
Identifying the Conclusion	20	(1)
Identifying the Reasons	21	(1)
Where Do I Find the Arguments?	22	(2)
What Is the Source of the Information?	24	(8)
The Importance of the Information Provider	25	(1)
Differences among Sources of Information	25	(6)
Responding to Information from Unknown Sources	31	(1)
How Dependable Is the Authority Who Provided This Information?	32	(5)
A Special Case	33	(1)
Criteria for Choosing among Authorities	33	(3)
Our Inescapable Dependence on Authorities	36	(1)
What Does the Information Mean?	37	(6)
Words May Have More than One Meaning	38	(1)
The Need to Discover Meaning	38	(1)
Making a List of Alternative Meanings	39	(2)
Use Caution When Your Meaning Differs from That of the Information-Provider	41	(1)
Use Your Purpose as a Guide When Searching for Meaning	41	(2)
What Are the Value Assumptions?	43	(8)
Discovering Assumptions	45	(1)
Discovering Values	45	(1)
Discovering Value Assumptions	46	(1)
Look for Typical Value Conflicts	47	(1)
Look at the Origin of the Website	47	(1)
Look for Similar Controversies	48	(1)
Think about What Is Important to Those Who Disagree	49	(2)
How Good Is the Evidence?	51	(10)
The Need to Evaluate Evidence	52	(2)
What Is the Relationship Between ``Facts'' and Evidence?	54	(1)
Kinds of Evidence	54	(1)
Personal Testimonials and Personal Experience as Evidence	55	(1)
Research Studies as Evidence	56	(1)
Limitations of Scientific Research	56	(1)
Questions for Evaluating Research Studies	57	(1)
Biased Surveys and Questionnaires	58	(3)
What Significant Information Is Omitted?	61	(7)
The Importance of Looking for Omitted Information	62	(1)
The Inevitability of Incomplete Information	62	(1)
Questions for Identifying Omitted Information	63	(3)
The Importance of Possible Long-Term Negative Consequences	66	(2)
Are There Rival Causes?	68	(8)
The Need to Search for Other Possible Causes	69	(1)
Knowing When to Look for Rival Causes	69	(1)
The Pervasiveness of Rival Causes	70	(2)
Detecting Rival Causes	72	(1)
Rival Causes and Scientific Research	72	(1)
Confusing Causation with Association	73	(1)
Explaining Specific Events or Acts	74	(1)
Evaluating Rival Causes	74	(2)
English and the Internet	76	(9)
The Contestable Nature of Research	76	(1)
Research About the Use of the Internet for Studying English	77	(1)
What are Important Websites for English Students?	78	(1)
Searching for the Right Search Engine	79	(2)
Thinking Critically About English Information on the Internet	81	(4)
Appendix A A Unique Online Study Resource: The Companion Website	85	(4)
Appendix B Documenting Your Electronic Sources	89	(6)
Appendix C Glossary	95