evaluating online information lesson 27
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Living Online ModuleLesson 27 — Evaluating
Online Information
Computer Literacy BASICS
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Objectives
Identify types of Internet resources. Identify criteria for evaluating electronic
information. Use assessment tools to evaluate electronic
information. Understand the rules of copyright. Cite Internet resources appropriately.
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Vocabulary
Copyright Currency Navigation Plagiarism Public domain
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Evaluating Information from the Internet
The Internet is a tremendous source of information.
It is easy to find information on almost any subject.
But anyone can post information, so you need to evaluate what you find on the Internet to determine– Whether it is true and accurate– Whether it is reliable and current
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Types of Internet Resources
Information resources on the Internet include– Journals and journal articles– Magazines and magazine articles– Newspapers and newspaper articles– E-mail– Mailing lists– Commercial sites– Organizational sites– Subject-based sites
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Search Engines
Search engine sites build a database of information about Web sites.
You can enter keywords and phrases to obtain links to sites containing your search criteria.
When using a search engine, you should know– How it decides the order in which the hits are
presented– How it finds its information– How often it is updated
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Sponsored Sites
Even the most academic subjects result in sponsored sites in your search results.
Sponsored sites are sites that an advertiser pays to have listed in the search results.
They are unlikely to provide balanced and impartial information.
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Sponsored Sites
Sponsored sites are usually identified and are almost always at the top of a search results list.
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Subject Directories
Subject directories are organized by subject categories.– Each category has a collection of links to
Internet resources, and most links include a description.
– The resources are arranged by subject and displayed in menus.
Subject experts handpick and evaluate the Web sites included in a subject directory.
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Subject Directories (cont.)
Subject directories are easy to use and provide a more guided approach than keyword searches.
They often produce higher-quality hits. Popular subject directories include
– Librarian’s Index at www.lii.org– Encyclopedia Britannica at www.britannica.com– Galaxy at www.galaxy.com
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Mailing Lists
Mailing lists provide you with information regularly from other members of the list.
Sometimes the postings are so numerous that they are overwhelming.
But if the mailing list is maintained by a reputable organization, postings can provide new insights and specific data you could not easily find elsewhere.
Apply the same types of criteria you use to assess other electronic information to determine the usefulness, validity, and relevance of the information.
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Criteria for Evaluating Resources
Anyone who uses information from the Internet must develop skills to evaluate what they find.
Questions to ask when evaluating a site include the following:– Did the page take a long time to load?– Are the graphics on the page related to the
site?– Are the sections on the page labeled?
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More Criteria for Evaluating Resources
– Who wrote the information on this page?– How can you communicate with the author?– When was the page last updated?– Are there appropriate links to other Web
pages?– Is it easy to follow links?– Can you tell what the page is about from its
title?
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More Criteria for Evaluating Resources (cont.)
– Is the information useful to you?– How old is the information?– Does any of the information contradict
information you found someplace else?– Did the author use words like always, never,
best, worst?– Do you think the author knows the
information he or she is sharing?
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Determining Authorship
Well-developed resources identify the author of the information.
Check the background and expertise of the author to determine whether he or she is qualified in the subject area.
Look for the name or e-mail address of the author so that you can contact him/her if necessary.
If the site has insufficient data about the author, use a search engine to find more information.
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Determining Authorship (cont.)
Sometimes the domain can inform you of the pertinence of the site. Examples include– .edu for educational or research information– .gov for government resources– .com for commercially sponsored sites– .org for nonprofit organizations– .mil for military branches
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Relevance and Reliability
Ask yourself whether the information on the site meets the needs of your research:
Is the purpose of this Web site stated? Is the information accurate and covered in depth? Has the information been reviewed? Does the information come from a source that can
be trusted?
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Relevance and Reliability (cont.)
The source of information should be clearly stated, whether it is original or borrowed.
The layout of the page is important, also. It should not be distracting or filled with irrelevant graphics.
Spelling and grammar errors may be warning signs that the information is not completely reliable.
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Validity and Bias
Determine whether the site is trying to sell a product or agenda or whether it is impartial with no ulterior motive in presenting the information.
Determine whether the content covers a specific time period or an aspect of a topic or whether it is more broad.
Check the information against other resources to verify the validity of the site.
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Validity and Bias (cont.)
If the writing in a site is opinionated and subjective, you may want to give second thought to using it.
Ideas and opinions supported by references are positive indications of the value of the site.
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Dating Your Data
Assess the currency of the Web site, which refers to the age of its information.
The site should state when it was last updated.– Medical and technological data change more
rapidly than historical facts and figures, for example, and could provide outdated information if it has not been updated recently.
– Dead links—links that no longer work—may mean that the information on the site is not up to date.
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Navigating the Site
Navigation is the ability to move through a site. A site that is laid out in a logical and orderly
format makes it easier to use and more effective.
Links on a Web site should be easy to identify, grouped logically, and pertinent to the subject.
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Navigating the Site (cont.)
Determine whether the links stay within the site or go to other sites to assess the objectivity of the information on the site.
Each page should have a link back to the home page and a link to e-mail the author.
Does the site itself contain useful information or only links to other sites with information?
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Assessment Tools:The Internet Detective
The Internet Detective is an online tutorial for evaluating the quality of any information you find online.
It gives specific information regarding the evaluation of electronic resources.
Visit the Internet Detective at
www.sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html
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Assessment Tools: Survey Form
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Copyright Rules
It is easy to copy information from a Web site, but it may be illegal to do so.
Internet sites and publications have the same legal protection as books, newspapers, movies, and so forth.
A copyright is the exclusive right for some period of time to make and dispose of literary and artistic work.
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Copyright Rules (cont.)
You may need permission from the site author to use any information found on that site or else you may violate copyright law.– Most sites include a copyright notice you should
read and follow. Information on which the copyright has lapsed is
considered in the public domain and can be used without permission, but you still must give proper credit to the source.
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Citing Internet Sources
Any Internet resource used in a report or document must be cited.
If you do not credit a source, then you are claiming someone else’s words or ideas as your own, which is plagiarism.
You must give credit to any information you use in a paper or publication that is not your original thought.
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Citing Internet Sources (cont.)
In addition to giving credit where it is due, citing the resource in your document also makes it easy to find again if needed and provides the reader with additional sources.
Guidelines, such as the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and The Chicago Manual of Style, explain how to cite electronic sources in papers and reports.
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Summary
There are various types of Internet resources including electronic journals, magazines, newspapers, Web sites, and e-mail messages.
Search engines, subject directories, and mailing list postings each present different requirements for evaluation, but information from any electronic source should be assessed before depending on its validity and reliability.
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Summary (cont.)
The criteria for evaluating Internet resources include authorship, content, appearance, ease of use, date, copyright information, objectivity, and quality control.
Internet publications and Web site content can claim the same legal protection as books, newspapers, CDs, movies, and other forms that are protected by copyright law.
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Summary (cont.)
It is important to cite any information that you use from the Internet. The MLA style is widely used for citing electronic resources.
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