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Evaluating Web Information Elaine MacLean St. Francis Xavier University February 2007

This resource explores how to distinguish between accurate and unreliable web information by applying 5 questions and 5 criteria for evaluation. It covers topics such as authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage. Use this guide to critically evaluate web information and make informed decisions.

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Evaluating Web Information Elaine MacLean St. Francis Xavier University February 2007

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  1. Evaluating Web Information Elaine MacLean St. Francis Xavier University February 2007

  2. distinguish between accurate/reliable web information & inaccurate/unreliable web information apply 5 questions to evaluate web information apply criteria to evaluate web information What do we hope to learn?

  3. (2) States of MIND • Be Suspicious • Critically evaluate all information

  4. Accuracy Authority Objectivity Currency Coverage (5) Criteria for Evaluation

  5. (5) Questions ?? Who ?? What ?? Why ?? When ?? How

  6. ?? WHO ?? AUTHORITY • Is there an author or who is responsible? • What makes him/her an expert? • Is she/he with a reputable organization? • Can you verify the credentials or contact information?

  7. WHO are the AUTHORS? http://www.alexchiu.com/ http://www.hss.edu/conditions_14137.asp http://www.rythospital.com

  8. http://www.gatt.org/ http://www.wto.org/ World Trade Organization(WTO) - which is the “authoritative” WTO site?

  9. ?? WHAT ?? Accuracy • What is the point/intent of the website? • What is the particular audience? • What kind of information - general or comprehensive? • Factual or a Hoax?

  10. WHAT – Factual or Fun? http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/ http://www.dhmo.org/

  11. ?? WHY ?? Objectivity • Is the website providing just one point of view? • Is it biased or does it push a specific perspective? • Does the site contain advertising? • If there are ads, is there a conflict of interest between them and the content?

  12. ?? WHY ?? http://www.godsendinstitute.org/home.html http://www.philipmorrisusa.com/en/health_issues/secondhand_smoke.asp http://www.foe.org/

  13. ?? WHEN ?? Currency • Is it clear when the information was published? When was it last updated? If there are links to other websites, do they work? • Depending on your subject area (Business/Science), current information is vital. • The top or bottom of a web page is normally the first place to look for a date.

  14. Most Current? http://www.pinknoiz.com/coldwar/index.html http://www.cbc.ca/ http://www.cmpharm.ucsf.edu/cohen/research/pages/malaria.html

  15. ?? HOW ?? Coverage • Is the site easy to navigate? Are there obvious signs of errors or typos? Can factual information be verified using other sources? • Ease of navigation or the ability to verify facts quickly is important. • Time is valuable! If you're having problems with a source, there is probably a more efficient way to find what you're looking for.

  16. http://alexa.com Traffic rank Subjective reviews "Site statistics" including some page history, sites that link to the page Contact/ownership info for the domain name A link to the Internet archive of website history "Wayback Machine" Tool for Evaluating

  17. FINAL THOUGHTS • GOOD to be CRITICAL • WHO/WHAT/WHYWHEN/HOW • Think BEFORE you choose it and remember that a …

  18. 1st Class Mind Evaluates! Beloit College www.beloit.edu/~libhome/Infoliteracy.htm

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