LibGuides: FYS Spear: Conversations in Current Moral Issues: Online Resources

Evaluating Online Sources

Also known as the CRAAP Test for evaluating information, use this set of criteria to maintain a critical focus on whatever sources are used in your research.

Other considerations for evaluation:

What is the domain of the site's URL (.com,.edu,.org,.net,.gov)?
Are there numerous broken links across the site?
Are there advertisements on the page which may promote an agenda?
Does the site rely too heavily on extra, downloadable software?

Other helpful sites:

Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask - University of California, Berkeley

Evaluating Information Found on the Internet - Johns Hopkins University

News sources and websites

News sources

The New York Times
A standard in US news. Log in with your Marian email and the password you set up in the top right of the screen.
Indianapolis Star

Websites

Markkula Center at Santa Clara University
"Located in the Silicon Valley, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics brings the traditions of ethical thinking to bear on real world problems. Beyond a full range of events, grants, and fellowships for the Santa Clara University Community, the Center also serves professionals in fields from business to health care, from government to the social sector, providing innovative approaches to problems from fake news to privacy protection. Through our website and international collaborations, we also bring ethical decision making resources to the wider world."

E-books

Below are just a few examples of e-books related to this course held by the library.

Ethics
"This introduction to ethics judiciously combines moral theory with applied ethics to give an opportunity for students to develop acute thinking."
Virtue Ethics
Discusses the specific branch of ethical theory known as virtue ethics, and the competing frameworks of ethics it is in contrast with.
Formal Ethics
"Formal Ethics is the study of formal ethical principles. Modelled on formal logic, Formal Ethics was inspired by the ethical theories of Kant and Hare. It shows that the basic formal principles of ethics, like the golden rule, are very similar to principles of logic, and gives a firm basis for our ethical thinking. As an introduction to moral rationality, Formal Ethics also considers non-formal elements, and is applied to areas of practical concern such as racism and moral education."

Encyclopedia of Ethics by Lawrence C. Becker (Editor); Charlotte B. Becker (Editor)
Publication Date: 2001
Essentials of Philosophy and Ethics by Martin Cohen
ISBN: 9780340900284
Publication Date: 2006-06-30
The Essentials of Philosophy and Ethics provides an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to understand the key concepts in these fields and their relevance to current issues. It adopts an innovative and contemporary approach, covering a wide range of philosophical ideas including often-neglected non-European traditions such as African philosophies and Islamic ethics.
Consice Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy by Edward Craig
ISBN: 9780203157909
Publication Date: 1999-01-01
"Features over 2000 original articles from over 1300 leading international experts across the discipline of philosophy. The articles cover an unparalleled breadth of subject matter, including Anglo-American, ethical and political, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, continental and contemporary philosophy. With a summary providing a rapid orientation at the beginning of every in-depth."

Using Wikipedia

Wikipedia can be a great starting point for research when you're trying to familiarize yourself with terms, big ideas, and important people or events related to your topic. Always check the citations of facts you find in Wikipedia if you're using them in your research. You can also use citations on Wikipedia pages as a jumping-off point for your own research--you can read the materials yourself to gain more info. You can always request materials that look promising through interlibrary loan, and we'll try to borrow them from another library. They will be delivered to Marian, where you can pick them up from the library's circulation desk.