1. Internet Research Skills Prof. Dwyer IS112 Fall 2004

2. Internet treasure trove Millions of web sites, billions of pages Is this good or bad? What challenges does this cause? You will never have time to look at everything New material may appear, old material may disappear What information is reliable?

3. Information overload Internet is unchallenged medium of communication, but sheer volume of content is overwhelming Can produce a kind of stupor known as “information overload” What is the best strategy for overcoming this?

4. Find reliable sources Find and rely on sites that collect and distill only the most essential and important information, while still harnessing the raw power of the intenet Example: http://slashdot.org/http://slashdot.org/

6. Develop evaluation strategy Can’t believe everything you find on the Internet How can determine what information is reliable and unbiased?

8. Evaluating Internet Research Article by Robert Harris at http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm Internet has quickly become primary medium for distributing technical information Volumes of information available Searcher must take on role of editor/filter

9. Diversity of information Information is a commodity available in many flavors – Varies greatly in accuracy, reliability and value Information exists on a continuum of reliability and quality – Is created for many purposes – to inform, to persuade, to sell, to present a viewpoint, to create or change an attitude or belief

10. Screening information Clarify purpose of your research – Get new ideas, find support for specific position, survey information? Select reliable sources – IS112 Resources IS112 Resources – Burd Text Student Support Site Burd Text Student Support Site

13. What to look for in a source Reliable research sites are more likely to have the following information: – Author’s name, title or position – Author’s organizational affiliation – Date of page creation or version – Author’s contact information

14. Evaluating information IS professionals are paid to make decisions – Basing a decision on unreliable information invariably leads to problems Source evaluation (determining reliability of information) is something of an art – Not based a single litmus test, instead requires inference from a collection of clues or indicators

15. CARS Checklist Credibility – Trustworthy source, author’s credentials, evidence of quality control Accuracy – Up to date, factual, detailed Reasonableness – Fair, balanced, objective, reasoned Support – Listed sources, contact information, documentation

16. Step 1: Research Professional societies Technology related web sites Vendor & manufacturer sites Commercial search engines Find examples of each at Burd Text Research SitesBurd Text Research Sites

17. Bias in Information Sources Unbiased information is hard to come by – Fee based research Sources of bias can be subtle – How do search engines rank hits (matches)?

18. Step 2: Analysis Uncovering and factoring out bias Look at multiple sources for information on a topic Find conflicts or discrepancies in information Factor out bias in each source

19. Step 3: Presentation of conclusions Use presentation software (PowerPoint) Provide definitions for jargon and acronyms (abbreviations) Summarize business requirements Summarize possible solutions Recommend best option and justify your selection

20. Summary Need to learn how to be a sophisticated information consumer Overcome information overload by finding reliable sources Be sure your information is timely, factor out bias in sources Present your findings, and keep up with new information as it develops