What is a blog?

A blog is an online source in any language or length read through a Web browser:

• Composed of dated "posts"
• In reverse chronological order
• May contain "blog" in the title
• May show a blog service (Blogger, Movable Type, TypePad, WordPress) in the URL

What are the characteristics of a blog?

Blog content can be fiction or nonfiction. The writing may resemble another genre:

• Editorial
• Interview
• Journal or diary
• Letter
• News article
• Opinion column
• Research report
• Review

What kinds of media are included in a blog?

While many blogs include visual elements, others are composed almost entirely of images, animation or sound.

How is a blog different from a Web page?

A blog is designed to stimulate conversations by:

• Allowing users to comment
• Including ratings and surveys

A blogger develops an interactive community of readers and other bloggers by:

• Encouraging readers to comment
• Replying to comments
• Responding to other bloggers

What is a blog hub?

A group of blogs hosted on the same domain such as:

• Subject-specific community (e.g., Science Blogs, AJBlogCentral)
• Media publisher's website (New York Times Blogs)
• Social or professional networking site (e.g., Linkedin, Facebook, Google+)
• Closed community site (e.g., Ning, Edmodo)

Where do I find the blogger's name?

A blogger's real name, handle, or screen name (alias) appears:

• At the top of the post near a publication date
• At the bottom of the post
• In a sidebar or an "About," "Contact," or "Profile" link
• Next to the words "Posted by"

Multi-author blogs have posts written by different authors.

What if I can't find a name?

Governments, associations, agencies, companies, and other organizations can author blogs, but posts may be unsigned.

Tip: An organization's name is entered in the last-name field in NoodleTools.

How do I evaluate a contributor's credentials?

A contributor's credentials should relate to your subject. A credible blogger might:

• Have a degree, do scholarly research or work in this field
• Be part of a group or organization with relevant goals
• Have demonstrated knowledge of this subject (e.g., author of a book)

Every author has opinions and a worldview that shape his or her treatment of a subject. As you read the blog post, ask yourself how the author's views and affiliations might affect the presentation or omission of information.

How do I evaluate a contributor's expertise?

A contributor's expertise should relate to your subject. A credible blogger might:

• Share first-hand observations of relevant events and people
• Analyze new developments or research in this field
• Offer a unique perspective or in-depth information
• Display knowledge about this subject in regular posts (check the tag cloud)

How do I fact-check the blogger's information?

Follow the trail of evidence to see who the writer links to, quotes or references:

• Has the blogger represented the original source accurately?
• Are the blogger's sources credible and relevant?
• Is data presented fully or "cherry picked" to suppress contradictory evidence?
• How strong is the evidence? If there is a study or poll, is the sample size large enough to represent the population accurately?

Corroborate: Compare information from different media (e.g., magazines, reports, newspapers, journals) to gather diverse viewpoints.

How do I evaluate an argument in a post?

How strong is the author's logic?

• Does the evidence support the blogger's claims?
• Do the blogger's conclusions follow logically from the analysis?

What is the blogger's rhetorical purpose (e.g., to persuade, inform, describe)?

• Does the blogger's word choice and language expose this goal?
• Is more than one viewpoint fully represented and fairly considered?

How does this source fit?

• Does this add a different point of view?
• Does this make sense, given what I already know?

How do I recognize the title of a blog?

• Appears at the top of the page, sometimes in a banner
• Remains the same for each entry
• May contain the word "blog"

What is the post's title?

Look for the title of a post near the top of the entry next to the posting date.

Who is the publisher or sponsor of a blog?

Any company, government, nongovernmental organization, nonprofit or group can publish or sponsor a blog.

Where do I find the publisher's or sponsor's name?

• Next to the copyright symbol at the bottom of the page
• On an "About," "Legal," or "Privacy" page
• Use Whois to find the "Registrant"

Tip: Do not use the blogging service (e.g., Blogger, Movable Type, TypePad, WordPress) as the publisher or sponsor.

Where do I find the publication date?

Gather elements for your citation from the database record or print magazine.

• Near the title or byline
• At the bottom of the post before the comments

Tip: Do not use the date next to the copyright symbol (the footer).

Which URL can I use?

The URL in the browser's address bar may not be permanent. To display a stable link to the blog post:

• Click on "Permalink" at the bottom of a post
• Click on the post's title to display the direct URL in the address bar

How do I cite a blog post in a database?

Option #1: Locate the blog post on the Web and cite it directly

Option #2: If published as part of a print anthology, cite it as a short work in an anthology in the database

Option #3: Cite it as original material in the database