Internet Literacy

1. Internet Literacy What do you need to know before using online resources?

2. Authority • Good information is presented by some person or group who is a recognized authority • Three steps to analyzing web pages for Authority: • Whois the author? And by what authority does s/he speak? • Who is the publisher of the information? • What is the relationship between the author of the web page and the publisher/server?

3. Accuracy • It is important to determine the accuracy of information used on the web • Three important points to remember when thinking about Accuracy: • Can you verify the background and/or factual information the author uses? • Does the document rely on other sources that are footnoted and/or in a bibliography? • If it's original research, is the methodology or the way the data was gathered clearly explained?

4. Bias • All information displays some bias. It is important to recognize that bias and take it into account when using that source as evidence. • Three steps to analyzing web page Bias: • Is the site trying to sell you a product, service, or idea? • Is information on the site documented with references? • Is the information balanced?

5. Currency (Is it current?) • For many types of data, currency, or the timeliness, and the regularity of updates is very important. • Three points to remember: • When was the data gathered? • What dates are covered by the data? • When was the document last updated?

6. Coverage • Make sure the information is covered at the level you need. • Three points in thinking about coverage: • At what depth do you need the topic to be covered? • Is this the right web page for you? • Does the author display a breadth of knowledge on the subject? • Coverage is really the sum total of all the other criteria--Authority, Accuracy, Bias, and Currency.