How to Evaluate Web Content Stephen Perry, Regional Information Resources Officer, U.S. Embassy, ACCRA Thanks to many authors for their invaluable ideas

When searching the Internet, the statement below is the best guide: USE YOUR BRAIN, DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY TRUST RESULTS

“Do you want to find the Best Resources on the Internet?” “Casual users and serious researchers place their trust in the accuracy and completeness of the data on the network. They’re relying upon information of unknown pedigree and dubious quality, since precious little on the Internet has been refereed or reviewed.” “Casual users and serious researchers place their trust in the accuracy and completeness of the data on the network. They’re relying upon information of unknown pedigree and dubious quality, since precious little on the Internet has been refereed or reviewed.” Clifford Stoll, Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway. New York, Doubleday, pg. 125 Clifford Stoll, Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway. New York, Doubleday, pg. 125

Why evaluate? The Web is a no man’s land, where anyone with sufficient skills can publish any opinion they wish. The Web is a no man’s land, where anyone with sufficient skills can publish any opinion they wish. Therefore, experience tells us that you will need additional and critical skills to locate information of real quality and value. Therefore, experience tells us that you will need additional and critical skills to locate information of real quality and value.

I.AUTHORITY Who or what organization is responsible for the content? Who or what organization is responsible for the content? Is all contact information readily available? Is all contact information readily available? How easy is it to reach someone if you have questions about the content or authenticity of the Web Page? How easy is it to reach someone if you have questions about the content or authenticity of the Web Page? Does the Web Page list information about the organization or individuals responsible for the content and design of the page? Does the Web Page list information about the organization or individuals responsible for the content and design of the page?

II. ACCURACY Are all the links and information verified? Are all the links and information verified? Is the information cited correctly? Is the information cited correctly? Who publishes the content and who is responsible for updating it? Who publishes the content and who is responsible for updating it? JUDGE: DOES THIS SITE PRESENT ACCURATE AND AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION? JUDGE: DOES THIS SITE PRESENT ACCURATE AND AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION?

Here is a checklist written by the UCLA Libraries with tips to help you evaluate the authenticity of websites ries/college/11605_12337.cfm ries/college/11605_12337.cfm ries/college/11605_12337.cfm ries/college/11605_12337.cfm

UCLA CHECKLIST: THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT WEBSITES

III. APPROACH What is the purpose of the content and why was it produced? What is the purpose of the content and why was it produced? Does the content have a goal? [Advertising vs. Educational vs. Propaganda?] Does the content have a goal? [Advertising vs. Educational vs. Propaganda?] How objective is the information? Is it one person’s or one organization’s point of view or opinion only? How objective is the information? Is it one person’s or one organization’s point of view or opinion only?

IV. AGE ONLINE When was the Web Page last updated? Does the Web Page state explicitly “Last Updated …” When was the Web Page last updated? Does the Web Page state explicitly “Last Updated …” How many dead links [Web Rot] are on the page? How many dead links [Web Rot] are on the page? Does the page indicate a contact or an address for additional information? Does the page indicate a contact or an address for additional information? Judge: Is the information timely? Judge: Is the information timely?

V. AUDIENCE LEVEL Is the Web Page geared for a specific audience? (i.e. Children/Adults/Teens/Political or Religious Affiliation or Ideology, etc.?) Is the Web Page geared for a specific audience? (i.e. Children/Adults/Teens/Political or Religious Affiliation or Ideology, etc.?) Is the content generic or very specific? Is the content generic or very specific? JUDGE: WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THIS SITE? JUDGE: WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THIS SITE?

VI. ACCESSIBILITY How Accessible is the web site? How Accessible is the web site? Consider issues such as use of color, patterns, organization, whether the site offers the full text of documents listed or only a portion. Consider issues such as use of color, patterns, organization, whether the site offers the full text of documents listed or only a portion. Is the site or part of it under construction? For how long? Is the site or part of it under construction? For how long? Does the Web Page have a SITE INDEX for greater accessibility? Does the Web Page have a SITE INDEX for greater accessibility? JUDGE: HOW EASY IS THIS SITE TO USE? JUDGE: HOW EASY IS THIS SITE TO USE?

The Internet Public Library:

INFOMINE:

Virtual Library:

Pinakes: /pinakes.html /pinakes.html /pinakes.html

For Legal and Business Information:

Distance Education: Quality Online Courses for Continuing Education:

Reference/Fast Facts at a Glance:

For NGOs and Development Work around the World:

Poynter Site for Journalists:

A QUIZ AND A REVIEW Compare two statistical sites related to WOMEN AND AIDS: Compare two statistical sites related to WOMEN AND AIDS: Go to GOOGLE AND TYPE IN “AIDS AND WOMEN AND STATISTICS” and compare the results and the types of web pages you retrieve. Go to GOOGLE AND TYPE IN “AIDS AND WOMEN AND STATISTICS” and compare the results and the types of web pages you retrieve. What did you discover through this exercise? What did you discover through this exercise?

MORE REVIEWING VIA AN ONLINE EXERCISE: Search Google for information on GHANA…or …a topic of your choice. Search Google for information on GHANA…or …a topic of your choice. Name the top 5 web sites --using and applying the criteria you just learned. Find the Ku Klux Klan Website and discuss the problems with it. Does the site present opinion or fact? How can you tell? Find the Ku Klux Klan Website and discuss the problems with it. Does the site present opinion or fact? How can you tell?

AN ADDITIONAL QUIZ READ THE ONLINE ARTICLE: “In GOOGLE WE TRUST: INFORMATION INTEGRITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE” BY LEE SHAKER. FIRST MONDAY, vol. 11, no. 4 (APRIL 2006): READ THE ONLINE ARTICLE: “In GOOGLE WE TRUST: INFORMATION INTEGRITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE” BY LEE SHAKER. FIRST MONDAY, vol. 11, no. 4 (APRIL 2006): This article available at: wrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/vie w/1320/1240 This article available at: wrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/vie w/1320/ wrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/vie w/1320/ wrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/vie w/1320/1240 What lessons did you learn from this article? What lessons did you learn from this article?

QUIZ TIME Now go to and type in “Ghana” in the search window provided and see if there is a difference in the quality of the sites offered by Internet Public Library ( and Google. Now go to and type in “Ghana” in the search window provided and see if there is a difference in the quality of the sites offered by Internet Public Library ( and Google. What did you learn from this exercise? What did you learn from this exercise?

More information on how to evaluate web pages can be found through the following web sites ge/11605_12337.cfm ge/11605_12337.cfm ge/11605_12337.cfm ge/11605_12337.cfm x.html x.html x.html x.html Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html x.html x.html x.html x.html

More Sites with Information on how to evaluate Web Sites: RUTGERS: htm RUTGERS: htm htm htm ITHACA: ITHACA: ml ml ALBANY: A series of Internet Tutorials available at: ALBANY: A series of Internet Tutorials available at: A Checklist for Evaluating Information: guides/webevaluating.html A Checklist for Evaluating Information: guides/webevaluating.html guides/webevaluating.html guides/webevaluating.html

More Sources to help you actively evaluate information : ◙ Learn to Think Critically Project: seek-and-ye-shall-find-how-to-evaluate- sources-on-the-web php ◙ Learn to Think Critically Project: seek-and-ye-shall-find-how-to-evaluate- sources-on-the-web phptp:// seek-and-ye-shall-find-how-to-evaluate- sources-on-the-web phptp:// seek-and-ye-shall-find-how-to-evaluate- sources-on-the-web php ◙ From a University Web Site: ◙ The Web Credibility Project at Stanford University:

IF YOU MUST INSIST ON USING GOOGLE, then PLEASE USE GOOGLE INTELLIGENTLY: here are ideas:

AND NOW FOR A REVIEW Let’s look at the following slides for a final review Let’s look at the following slides for a final review

A GOOGLE SEARCH ON “MARTIN LUTHER KING”

The site in detail:

More detail: from site retrieved by GOOGLE:

More of this web site retrieved by GOOGLE

Note who actually hosts --or is responsible for this website? STORMFRONT

WHO IS STORMFRONT?

My point here is that Google will retrieve even racist and violent information that the average person – who believes anything Google retrieves - might accept as fact. I shudder to think that anyone would accept the information in as fact.

I stress this point because: Google does not evaluate any web site it brings you; it often just retrieves the most popular websites that people have looked at Google does not evaluate any web site it brings you; it often just retrieves the most popular websites that people have looked at Please be careful in automatically accepting anything that Google retrieves; there are many guides for how to search Google carefully and there are better designed search engines. Please be careful in automatically accepting anything that Google retrieves; there are many guides for how to search Google carefully and there are better designed search engines. One of these is the Internet Public Library: One of these is the Internet Public Library:

Use our IRC ACCRA INTERNET GUIDE for better Search Engines

Use the Internet Public Library:

Here are resources by subject in IPL:

A search on Martin Luther King in the Internet Public Library: all resources evaluated by professional librarians as being the best and most authoritative

There are many other useful Search Engines for you to try out: Infomine: Infomine: WWW Virtual Library: WWW Virtual Library: Best of the Web from the New York Public Library Staff: recommendations/best-of-web Best of the Web from the New York Public Library Staff: recommendations/best-of-web recommendations/best-of-web recommendations/best-of-web Library of Congress: Virtual Reference Shelf: Library of Congress: Virtual Reference Shelf: Annotated List of Reference Websites from the Library of Congress: Annotated List of Reference Websites from the Library of Congress: Voice of the Shuttle: Voice of the Shuttle:

The End Thank You for Your Attention! STEPHEN PERRY IRO ACCRA GHANA