Net Questions
"Information is everywhere on the Internet, existing in large
quantities and continuously being created and revised. This information
exists in a large variety of kinds (facts, opinions, stories,
interpretations, statistics) and is created for many purposes (to
inform, to persuade, to sell, to present a viewpoint, and to create or
change an attitude or belief). For each of these various kinds and
purposes, information exists on many levels of quality or reliability.
It ranges from very good to very bad and includes every shade in
between."
(Robert Harris, Evaluating Internet Research Sources, 17
November 1997, 11 October 2005.
http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm)
The following criteria will help you critically evaluate Internet resources:
Authority: Who Is the Author of the Internet
Source?
This is the most important question to ask about any Internet site.
If you cannot identify the person or group responsible for a site, you
should use a different information source.
- What are the author's credentials, institutional affiliation,
address, etc.?
- What qualifies the author of this page as an expert?
- Is this a Ph.D., college freshman, high school, or elementary
student?
- Are the author's credentials easy to find or are they hidden or
non-existent?
- Are the author's credentials relevant to the site's topic?
[ Top ]
Accuracy: How Accurate Is the Internet
Source?
- Is the site relaying fact or opinion?
- Are there other reputable sites linked to this page?
- Has the site been reviewed by professionals in the field?
- Where did the author get their information?
- How do your other information sources compare to one another?
- Are references provided to other information sources, to
document hypotheses, claims, or assertions?
- Are these references cited correctly?
To check the accuracy of a web page be sure to compare it to other
sources of information. In addition to searching the
Internet, locate a reference source or two, try the
MnPALS library catalog, or
ask a librarian for help.
[ Top ]
Currency: How Current Is the Internet
Resource?
Because the Internet has been around a while, you may find sites that
are no longer maintained. Try not to use dated (and possibly incorrect)
information. Ask yourself if the author of the web site has done a good
job updating it.
- Are there a lot of dead links?
- When was the page created or copyrighted?
- Is the site regularly maintained and updated?
- Will the site continue to be maintained and updated?
- Can you rely on this source over time to provide up-to-date
information?
- Most authors include maintenance or copyright dates near the
bottom of their web pages. If they do not, compare the page to other
traditional sources of information to determine if it is out-of-date or
inaccurate.
[ Top ]
Organization: Is the Internet Resource
Well Organized?
High-quality Internet sources are well organized and easy to use. If
you have difficulty finding the information you need or spend a lot of
time jumping through link after link, consider a different site or
traditional library resources.
- Does the site constantly redirect you to other sources?
- Is information hard to find or presented in a complicated way?
- Is the page written at a level you can understand? Can you
follow the language and terminology being used?
- Does the site have good graphic design?
- Do the graphics and icons serve a purpose?
- Does the text follow basic rules of composition (i.e., grammar,
spelling, punctuation, etc.)?
[ Top ]
Purpose: What Is the Purpose of the Internet
Resource?
People create Internet sites for many reasons. Therefore, the content
and purpose of web pages varies dramatically. To determine what the
author of an Internet resource is really trying to do, ask the following
questions.
- Why did the author create this site?
- How comprehensive is the coverage of this topic?
- Do the author or authors want you to buy something?
- Is advertising included and does it have an impact on content?
- Are the author or authors trying to change your opinion or get
you to think a certain way about an issue?
-
Is the content "popular" or "scholarly?"
- Is the site objective or subjective, stoic or emotional?
- Is there a hidden agenda?
- Is there an angle or bias?
[ Top ]
|
