Who is talking about this issue? Are there well-established blogs that offer credible voices behind an issue or question? (For instance, a soldier’s blog might give in-the-field perspective relating to the war in Iraq.) Use sites like technorati.com and A9.com to help you search the blogosphere. Cite and annotate these blogs!
Ask these questions about blogs you consider using for research:
• Who is the blogger? This may be challenge with so many blogs offering spotty or nonexistent “about” pages. That may be a clue in itself.
• What sorts of materials is the blogger reading or citing?
• Does this blogger have influence? Who and how many people link to the blog? Who is commenting? Does this blog appear to be part of a community? The best blogs are likely to be hubs for folks who share interests with the blogger.
• Is this content covered in any depth, with any authority? How sophisticated is the language, the spelling?
• Is this blog alive? It there a substantial archive? How current are the posts?
- At what point in a story’s lifetime did the post appear? Examining a story’s date may offer clues as to the reliability of a blog entry.
• Is the site upfront about its bias? Does it recognize/discuss other points of view? (For certain information tasks–an essay or debate or student blog–bias may be very useful. You need to recognize it.
• If the blogger is not a traditional “expert,” is this a first-hand view that would be valuable to your research? Is it a unique perspective?
