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Fooled No More! Website Evaluation

Fooled No More! Website Evaluation. Kelly Burke March 9, 2011 SIAST Libraries Kelsey Campus BBL. Learning Outcomes. Recognize the different criteria used for evaluating websites Explore different systems of evaluating websites Apply criteria to an example website. The Criteria.

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Fooled No More! Website Evaluation

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  1. Fooled No More! Website Evaluation Kelly Burke March 9, 2011 SIAST Libraries Kelsey Campus BBL

  2. Learning Outcomes • Recognize the different criteria used for evaluating websites • Explore different systems of evaluating websites • Apply criteria to an example website

  3. The Criteria • Purpose • Authority • Accuracy • Objectivity • Currency • Coverage • In order to critically evaluate websites, think about: • In addition, think about: • Writing Style • Accessibility

  4. Purpose • What is the goal of the website? • Present factual information, personal opinion or to sell a product? • Does the content match the information the site claims to represent? • Often the URL provides clues to a site’s purpose Why I care? Be wary of websites that are selling products or are biased in the way they present information. Websites with advertisements or only represent one side of an issue are not reliable sources.

  5. Authority • Who is the author? • Individual, group or organization? • Is the author clearly indicated? • What are the author’s credentials? • Is there a way to contact the author? • What contact information is provided? • To find the registered owner of the site, search http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

  6. Authority • Look at the domain, extension, and other parts of the URL • .com = commercial site • .org = organization site • .edu = educational site • .net = service provider • .gov = government site • ~ (tilde) = personal site • Countries are also indicated in the URL • .ca = Canada • .cn = China Why I care: Any one can publish anything on the Internet for any reason. You can use the URL to indicate the quality and validity of the information.

  7. Accuracy • Look at type of information being presented • Personal opinion or peer-reviewed article? • Does the information seem credible? • Can statements, facts, and research be verified? • References and footnotes? • Is there a bibliography or footnotes to back up references to information being presented on the site? • Is the site free of spelling and grammatical errors? Why I care: Unlike traditional print resources, there are not editors or “fact-checkers”.

  8. Objectivity • How is the information being presented? • Is there bias in the information being presented? • Are there advertisements promoting products? • Is the information meant to sway opinion? Why I care: Frequently the author’s/sponsor’s goals and objectives are not clearly stated.

  9. Currency • Is there an indication of the latest update to website? • Is there a Last Updated statement • Pages that the current page links to. • Are linked resources out of date? • Are links broken? Not available? Why I care: Date could indicate when the material was first written, first posted on the web, or last revised. Date may affect the accuracy of the information.

  10. Coverage • How well does the site cover the subject it claims to represent? • Is the information complete or is it brief? • Does the site leave out certain information on the subject? Watch out for bias. Why I care: Sites for experts may contain better and more information than those for a general audience. Quality of information may depend on if you have to pay for it or not.

  11. Applying the Criteria • There are many ways of applying the criteria for evaluating websites, including: • The 5 W’s • Get REAL • CAPOW

  12. The 5 W’s • Evaluate websites by asking • Who? • Why? • What? • When? • How? • http://kathyschrock.net/abceval/ (Schrock, Kathy. (2001). The ABC’s of Web Site Evaluation. Retrieved from http://kathyschrock.net/acbeval/)

  13. Get Real • Allan November’s (2008) Get REAL • Follows four steps: • Step 1: Read the URL • Step 2: Examine the Content • Step 3: Ask About the Author and Owner • Step 4: Look at the Links (November, Allan. (2008). Web Literacy for Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.)

  14. CAPOW • CAPOW is an acronym that stands for: • Currency • Authority • Purpose • Objectivity • Writing Style http://jeffcolibrary.wikispaces.com/Website+Evaluation (Library@Jefferson Library. (n.d.) Website Evaluation. Retrieved from http://jeffcolibrary.wikispaces.com/Website+Evaluation)

  15. Exercises in Website Evaluation • Split up into 4 groups and complete the Website Evaluation exercise • Be prepared to share your evaluation and thought on your experience

  16. References Schrock, Kathy. (2001). The ABC’s of Web Site Evaluation. Retrieved from http://kathyschrock.net /acbeval/ November, Allan. (2008). Web Literacy for Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Library@Jefferson Library. (n.d.) Website Evaluation. Retrieved from http://jeffcolibrary.wiki spaces.com/Website+Evaluation. Resources • Cornell University Library. (2010). Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools. Retrieved from http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webeval.html • Helpful website with links to many websites that discuss the subject of website evaluation • Piper. S (2000). Better read that again: web hoaxes and misinformation. Searcher, 8(8). Retrieved from http://infotoday.com/searcher/sep00/piper.htm • Article on WWW discussing various types of resources on the web, such as hoaxes, counterfeit sites, and others.

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