1. Web Searching & Evaluation of Information Jason Dupree Assistant Professor MLIS, University of Oklahoma BFA, Art Studio, Phillips University Head of Public Services Al Harris Library jason.dupree@swosu.edu

2. Part 1 Defining the World Wide Web

3. The Internet is… a worldwide collection of computer networks ubiquitous

4. Web Searching is easy because….. Speed Choice Availability 24/7 Always get an answer

5. Web searching is difficult because … Organization Quality control Reliability

6. Part 2 Web Resources

7. Web Resources 4 Categories: Directory Search Engine Metasearch Engine Government Web Tools

8. Directory Electronic Yellow Pages Organized into categories Point & click searching

9. Search Engine Simply searches Prominent search box Google voted “Most Outstanding Search Engine” 4 times Lycos, the oldest search engine on the web (‘94)

10. How does Google Search work?

11. Google Search PageRank (algorithm) –500 million variables –2 Billion Terms Bias? Popularity is a Proxy for Importance

12. Personalized Search Google’s algorithm will suggest “what is best for you” – based on past searches. It’s as if we looked up the same topic in an encyclopedia and each found different entries.

13. Personalized Search Find information that is most likely to reinforce your own worldview We begin to lose dissenting opinion/conflicting points of view Yet search seems neutral, objective, unbiased.

14. Personalized Search & the Internet Google is likely to direct you to material with which you already agree. “a search for proof about climate change will turn up different results for an environmental activist than it would for an oil company executive.” “democracy requires citizens to see things from one another’s point of view, but instead we’re more and more enclosed in our own bubbles…offered parallel but separate universes.”

15. Metasearch Engine Utilize search engines and directories to compile comprehensive results “one-stop” searching Dogpile voted “Best Metasearch Engine” Mamma, the oldest metasearch engine on the web (’96)

16. Government Web Tools USAGov, (formerly FirstGov) director of federal gov’t websites SoonerSearch, a portal to Oklahoma gov’t websites Infomine, access to university level research on gov’t info

17. Wikipedia

18. No Original Research NPOV (Neutral point of view) No owners, multiple anonymous authors Anyone with Internet access can create or edit an entry…Anyone

19. Wikipedia Contributors: male, English speaking, denizens of the Internet. Problem is not that it disregards the facts, but that it elevates them above all else. Most of the content is discussion/ history of edits & not the entries themselves.

20. Wikipedia Participation maps popular, not academic concerns It is a working community…but is it a good historical resource? Lack of Critical Analysis Problematic as a sole source of information Like all encyclopedias…great place to start, terrible place to stop. Benefit may be to its active participants, not its readers.

21. Strengths: Web vs. Library Web –Current events and news –Statistics and Other Information by Gov.’t –Full-text Resources (expired copyright) –Pop Culture TV Movies Music –Opinion –Information about Organizations & Groups Library –Research Based Books & Articles –Works Cited/ Bibliographies –Full-text Resources –Authoritative & Peer- reviewed Materials –Information about People & Cultures –Easier to Search Library Catalog Databases

22. Surface Web Ever wonder what you might be missing? Google 2.7 billion searches per month Indexes a trillion web pages Indexes 16% of the Surface Web Indexes 0.03% of the entire World Wide Web

23. Deep Web (or Hidden Web) NO SEARCH ENGINES ALLOWED 54% of DW is databases DW is 500 times larger than SW And a 1,000 times higher in quality too

24. Anatomy of a URL

25. Web Domains Which one is right? –www.whitehouse.comwww.whitehouse.com –www.whitehouse.govwww.whitehouse.gov –www.whitehouse.netwww.whitehouse.net –www.whitehouse.orgwww.whitehouse.org Whois.net –www.whois.net – allows you to conduct detective work on URLswww.whois.net.gov.org.mil.com.edu.net.int Indicates a reliable domain

26. Web Domain Usage Domain name appropriate for the content ? Restricted:.edu,.gov,.mil, a few country codes (.ca) Unrestricted:.com,.org,.net, most country codes (.us,.uk)

27. Part 3 Evaluation of Information

28. When Research Goes Wrong! Jayson Blair/NYT PlagiarismDan Rather/False Report on Bush Photoshoping Martha’s HeadHwang Woo-suk/Human Cloned? Newspaper MagazineJournal Television

29. Evaluation of Information 4 Criteria: Authority Accuracy Objectivity Currency

30. Step 1: Authority Books & Articles –Who is responsible for content? Author(s)? Editor(s)? Publisher Credentials offered? Newspapers Writer(s) Editor(s) Columnist(s) Web Pages –Who is responsible for content? Webmaster? Web team? Organization? Institution? Company?

31. Step 1: Authority Web Pages – Credentials/Qualifications/Reputation – Who is responsible for content? Is it a commercial site? Is it a government site? Is it an education site?

32. Step 1: Authority: Questions 1. Who is responsible for the content? Domain name? What does this indicate? 2. If you don't recognize the name, or there is no name, what type of information is given about the contact information? - Position? - Organizational affiliation? - E-mail address? - Biographical information?

33. Step 2: Accuracy Books & Articles –Can the information be verified? Bibliography Works Cited Peer-reviewed (journals only) Newspapers Interviews Eyewitness Accounts Web Pages –Can the information be verified? Links to credible sites Copyright Works Cited Fact check with a printed source

34. Step 2: AccuracyAccuracy Web Pages –Can the information be verified? Links to credible sites Copyright Works Cited Fact check with a printed source

35. Step 2: AccuracyAccuracy 1.Does the website cite sources used to present its information? What type of sources are they? Scholarly? Popular? 2. Is it possible to verify the legitimacy of these sources? 3.If the site is research-based, does the website clearly identify the method of research and the data gathered?

36. Step 3: Objectivity Books & Articles –Biased or Objective? Persuasion/Emotion Author’s Point of View Newspapers Subscriptions ($) Advertising ($) Owners CJR review Web Pages –Biased or Objective? Opinion/Fan sites Sponsoring Organization Agendas Political Propaganda Web hosting

37. Step 3: Objectivity Biased or Objective? Sponsoring Organization Agendas Political Propaganda Web hosting http://english.aljazeera.net/ http://www.foxnews.com/ http://www.npr.org/ Do you trust the author or organization providing the information?

38. Step 3: Objectivity Do you trust the author or organization providing the information? Determine what is the aim of the author or organization publishing the site. What is the purpose of the web site? 1. Is it advertisement for a product or service? 2. Is it for political purposes? 3. Is it trying to sway public opinion on a social issue?

39. Step 4: Currency Books & Articles –When was it published? Copyright date Important based upon subject –Science –Social Science –Allied Health –Education –Pharmacy –Computer Science Newspapers published daily Web Pages –When was it created and last updated? Well maintained web sites have an indication when it was last updated or modified Accessibility –Dead links Stability –Changes URLs frequently

40. Step 4: CurrencyCurrency Web Pages –When was it created and last updated? Well maintained web sites have an indication when it was last updated or modified Accessibility –Dead links Stability –Changes URLs frequently

41. Step 4: CurrencyCurrency 1. Is a date clearly displayed? 2. Can you determine what the date refers to? When the page was first written? When the page was first posted on the Internet? When the page was last revised or updated? The copyright date? 3. Are the resources used by the author current? 4. Does the page content demand routine or continual updating or revision? 5. Do the links on the page point to the correct Internet site addresses?

42. Remember to Evaluate! Authority –Who created it? Who is responsible? –What credentials do they hold? What makes them qualified to discuss the topic? Accuracy –Can the information be verified? –Check the facts! Objectivity –How is the information being presented? –Is it objective or biased? What’s the point of view? Currency (important based on subject) –When was it published? –When was it last updated?

43. End of First Presentation Thank You for listening