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Students use the Web more and more in their research for
classroom assignments. But it's not always their own idea:
faculty require it. (Some faculty see Web-based information
as more easily verified than traditional media.) Employers
require it as well: employees use the Web to monitor the
competition and look for new markets.
There are five criteria for judging whether Web-based
information can be thought of as reliable in your research:
- Accuracy
- Can you contact the author?
- Remember that there is a difference between author
and Webmaster.
- Authority
- What are the author's credentials?
- Is the document published anywhere else on the Web,
or in any other media? Is it recognized as authoritative
by any professional organization, journal, or trade
publication?
- Objectivity
- Is the material sponsored by advertising?
If so, the information might be biased.
- Is there any evidence of non-advertising
bias on the author's part?
- Can you separate information from opinion?
- How detailed is the information?
- Currency
- Are there a number of dead links on the page?
- Are links current or updated regularly?
- Is the information on the page up-to-date? Do
you know when the page was last updated? (The
addition of a "last updated" script is easy.)
- Coverage
- Do you need special software (e.g. Flash, Java,
RealPlayer, etc.) to view the information?
- Can you tell what you're missing if you don't have
the software?
- Is the information free, or must you pay a fee?
Must you subscribe to a mailing list or have a login
ID/password to find the info?
- Is there an option for text only viewing?
- Are you forced to support frames, or use JavaScript,
or accept cookies?
- Note: some sites are "optimized" for a particular
browser. You may still be able to view the info
even if you use another browser.
References
Kapoun, J. "Teaching undergrads Web evaluation."
College and Research Library News, July-August 1998.
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