Evaluating Web Resources (It’s on the Internet so it must be true?)

Internet Should I believe everything I read? Internet is a self-publishing medium Anyone can create and distribute information Sites are not monitored, edited, regulated or approved Just because information is on the Web does not guarantee its believability or accuracy Should a person question the credibility of material found on the Web What is credibility Capacity for belief Key to credibility is trust

Authority Who wrote the page What are the author’s credentials Look for the author’s name near the top or bottom If no name, look for copyright credit © or link to organization What are the author’s credentials Biographical information or author’s affiliations Can you verify the author’s credentials Could credentials be made up Did the author include contact information Email link, address, phone number

Authority (continued) Whose web site is this What organization is sponsoring this page Look at domain name Internet service provider sites and online community sites feature personal pages Other steps Search the author’s name in search engine Use Whois to find out who has registered the domain name Search for the main web site address in alltheweb or Google

Accuracy Is this stuff correct Are there clues to tell you that the information on the page is true Does the author list sources Is there a bibliography of citations Can the information be verified elsewhere Are there obvious errors

Bias Are the facts accurately and completely cited Is the author fair, balanced, and moderate in views Or is the author overly emotional or extreme Does the author use inflammatory or provocative language What is the purpose of the page Why was the page written and for whom Is there advertising on the page Can it be differentiated from the informational content

Currency Is there a date on the page Is the information up-to-date Recent date doesn’t mean the page is current Content might be years out of date even if the given date is recent Is the information up-to-date Compare to other sources Broken links may mean an out-of-date page If the page was revised, were the changes substantive Always note and cite the date you visit the page May have to provide the validity of your data from another source if your page disappears

Coverage Is the page a complete document or an abstract/summary Does the author adequately cover the topic Is important information left out intentionally What time period is covered Are there good links to additional coverage Is the information free or is there a fee to access more detailed data Does the page contain information that is pertinent to your research topic How can you use this information

Design and Navigation Is the page easy to read Does the background interfere with the page’s content Is the color “easy on the eyes” Is the material presented in an orderly format Do the graphics and images add to the presentation Are links appropriate to the topic; do they work Is there a link at the bottom to go back to main Is there a link on each supporting page to go back Do you need special software to view information

Bibliography Whenever you write a paper using outside sources Must include references Must cite references throughout the paper Why include a bibliography? it shows that you have done some research and have found relevant information it shows that you have supported your points properly it is part of the marking criteria You must always acknowledge your sources otherwise you will be guilty of cheating, or plagiarism (using someone else's work as your own without acknowledging it) Whether this is done deliberately or unintentionally, the university's regulations are very strict