Evaluating Web Pages

Anyone can publish information on the Internet.

Train your mind and eye to be suspicious. Always ask questions and verify evidence!

CSIBOOT CAMPObjective:

After completing this module, you will be able to:

Apply investigative criteria to determine the credibility, objectivity, currency, accuracy, relevancy, and authenticity of web page information.

Clearance: Prerequisites

This self-paced module is part of the Critically Studying Information (CSI) Boot Camp series that challenges you to critically evaluate information using a toolkit of investigative techniques.

It does NOT describe how to conduct a SEARCH!

Required prerequisites for this module: CSI Boot Camp: Getting StartedCSI Boot Camp: The Informants

If you completed the noted prerequisites, continue within this series.

If you did NOT complete the noted prerequisites, kindly report to the CSI Boot Camp Home Page in Blackboard and click on the applicable module(s).

Technical Requirements

The following are required to benefit from this module:

Access to a computer with speakers and a reliable Internet connection with at least 128 kbps download speed. Check your speed. If you can launch YouTube videos, you are good to go. One of the following operating systems and web browsers. The ability to open and print .pdf documents. If you cannot open this document,

download Adobe Reader. Java and Flash player installed on your computer. Check to see if you have the

Flash Player. Check to see if you have Java. If necessary, download Flash and Java. All applications / windows closed on your computer.

One last thing…

The Internet is your laboratory. This module contains hyperlinks to other web pages that either expand on the concept presented or serve as part of an evaluation activity.

When you click on a link, it will launch your browser and overlay this module. To exit out your browser and resume the module, simply click the x in the right corner of the browser window.

A fellow Literacy Forensics Agent trainee sent you the following email advising you that restaurant straws contain cockroach eggs. What would you do with this information?

What Would You Do?

A fellow Literacy Forensics Agent trainee sent you the email shown on the previous page advising you that restaurant straws contain cockroach eggs. What would you do with this information?

Indicate your response by clicking a radio button below.

Forward it to others to warn them.

Try to verify it.

Immediately delete it.

A suspicious Literacy Forensics Agent trainee would either try to verify it (claim made) before sharing it with others or delete it. He/she would NOT immediately forward it to others. Often emails of this type are FALSE.

The online investigative tools below can help you evaluate these types of claims that are often circulated via email.

Try it! Click on one or more of the logos below, type: cockroach eggs in straws in the Search field and click GO or SEARCH.

Can you spot spam scams? Click the logo to

play.

“Knowledge is Power.”~ Francis Bacon

_______ Information is Power.

Sources provide information. Information is the raw material of knowledge.

Information is Power.

Credible

Objective

CurrentAccura

te Relevant

Authentic

There are two Webs – the visible web and the invisible web.

The visible web (public web) is accessible using search engines, while the invisible web is not since it typically consists of private databases, such as library databases (ILLiad, JSTOR, EBSCOhost), library catalogs, Intranets, and password-protected web sites.

Your campus library has access to numerous resources within the invisible web.

Did You Know?

Learn More!

visible web

invisible web

Regardless of the publishing format, an experienced Literacy Forensics Agent always applies basic investigative criteria by asking general questions about the information. Rule of thumb…be suspicious! You don’t want to become the victim of false information, spoof, or even fraud.

Treat your evaluation like an interrogation. Ask Who…What… When… Where… Why and How to gather evidence and discern whether or not your information source is credible, objective, current, accurate, relevant and authentic.

Click each die below to uncover questions to ask.

Basic Investigative Criteria

Check the Domain! The domain (three-letter suffix) provides a clue about the sponsor /owner of the website where the webpage resides.

Common domains and their corresponding industries are:

Check out About Us. Is there an About Us, Biography, Background, Contact Us, Mission, or Philosophy link at the top or the bottom of the page, typically the Home Page?

Ask yourself:• Who is the author? Publisher? Who sponsors the web site? (~ tilde in the web address = personal web page)• Is there current contact information?• Is there background/biographical information?• What are the author’s credentials/qualifications? (education, institutional affiliation, experience, other published works)• Do peers consider the author an expert?• Who is the author’s audience?• Does the web page include advertisers/sponsors?

.edu – education .com – commercial/personal .gov – government agency .mil – US Dept. of Defense .org – non-profit/research organization .net – network-related

Tip

Caution:

ANYONE can

register

a .org

domain.

authority

Learn More!

Identify the primary motive! Anyone can publish information on the Internet. What is the author / sponsor / publisher’s motive for posting info on the web? Are advertisers influencing the message?

Determine if a balanced viewpoint is presented.

Ask yourself: • What is the author’s motive? …to inform, persuade, sell, entertain?• Is the information fact (verifiable), opinion (someone’s interpretation of facts) or propaganda?• Is the author’s viewpoint impartial or free of ulterior motive (has no connection to an interest/stake in the claim made)?• Are opposing viewpoints included when one point of view is presented?• Are any conclusions presented?

Examine links to and from other web sites. Track down one or more sources to see if they are reliable and sync with the viewed information.

objectivity

Learn More!

Determine the date/currency of the information and related links. Consider when the information was created and published. Look for a copyright date. Look at the bottom of the Home Page to determine the date of the last revision/update.

Ask yourself: • Is the publication/creation date of the information considered current?• If the information is time-sensitive or evolving, when was it revised/updated? • Are newer sources available?• Are there any broken links?

currencytimeliness

Learn More!

Tip

If a web page does not show when it was last revised, try right-clicking on the page. IF the date is the current date, be aware that some pages update automatically to the current date without revising the information.

Reject undated information!

Determine the source of information…where the author obtained facts or supporting information.

Ask yourself:• Does the author cite the origin of facts or supporting information?• Are sources credited with references, citations, or a bibliography? • If your topic is research-related, do sources include footnote documentation? • Are there links to other web pages and do they work?

Reputable authors reveal their source(s) of information!

accuracy

Investigate whether other web pages link to your source.

Try it! Click the Alexa logo below, type a keyword or web site address -www2.stockton.edu - in the Search field; then click Search.

Type: link:<URL> to uncover links! Try it! Click the Google logo below, type link:www2.stockton.edu in the Search field; then click Google Search.

Determine why the information is relevant (useful), and why you should or shouldn’t use it.

Ask yourself:• Is this info applicable/connected to my topic? Does it answer my inquiry?• Have I considered strengths and weaknesses of the source?• Is this info credible, comprehensive, and current?• Is this source better than others I have viewed?• Does this source add to my current knowledge? • Do I feel comfortable using this source?

relevancy

Do you want to see who is tweeting about your topic, a web site or a particular source? You simply enter your string of information in the Topsy search field and click Search.

Try it! Click the TOPSY logo, enter Journal of Medicine in the search field and click Search.

Keep in mind that the Internet does not contain all types of information! Consider all information sources collectively when determining usefulness.

If research results were referenced, examine how data was collected and analyzed.

Ask yourself: • What data collection methods were used and were they sound?• Were copies of utilized survey instruments included?• Does the data coincide with the goals of the research?• Do research results support conclusions?• Is there evidence that the results were not interpreted correctly?• Was the information validated by peers or experts in the field before it was published?

authenticity

How Web Savvy Are You? Now that you are more familiar with basic investigative criteria for evaluating web pages, it’s time to gauge how web savvy you are. Click the web page and follow your instincts to determine the legitimacy of this web site.

The Point Is…

Some web sites are

NOT legitimate!

Web Page Evaluation Checklist It helps to have tools to conduct a literacy forensic investigation. Begin evaluating web

pages by asking interrogative questions…Who?...What?...When?...Where?...Why? and… How? You are now ready to gain some in-the-field experience! Before you go, click the Tool button to download and print the Web Page Evaluation Checklist.

Let’s Go in the Field Let’s venture out into the field and take a closer look at three web sites. Imagine that you are investigating or researching the questions noted in the boxes below. Click each corresponding web page and investigate if you would use that source.

What successful strategies did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocate to promote non-violence?

What socially and culturally prescribed roles do men and women practice in the United States today?

Does hardcore video gaming lead to abrupt lifestyle changes and violent behavior?

Polling Question

Click the question mark below to answer a polling question about the web pages you viewed.

When finished, click the x in the right corner of the browser window to close the poll and resume the module.

Surveillance Video Which web site would you cite or direct others to? Hold that thought. Click the video below to view a six-minute surveillance recap on criteria to consider when evaluating web page information and its sources. Click the Tool button to view, or download and print corresponding video notes.

Source: The Dana Library – Clackamas Community College,

Oregon City, Oregon

Web Page Evaluation Challenge

Through practice, you will sharpen you investigative literacy skills for evaluating web pages. Using your Web Page Evaluation Checklist, click on any web page below to conduct a literacy forensic investigation.

Get Feedback! How do you think you did? Get feedback on your evaluation(s) by clicking on the applicable web page(s) below.

Independent Investigation It’s been said, “Practice makes perfect.” The 21st Century Information Fluency Project (21CIF) has various tools, micro-modules, interactive games, and resources for evaluating information and its sources. Click the web pages below to investigate further or bookmark the pages for future use.

Summary

To validate credibility, ask…

Who is the author, publisher, sponsor, or host? Is there current contact information? Is there background or biographical information? What are the author’s credentials, expertise,

qualifications (education, institutional affiliation, experience, other published works)?

Do peers consider the author an expert? Does the web page include advertisers or sponsors? Who is the intended audience?

To validate objectivity, ask…

What is the author’s motive? …to inform, persuade, sell, entertain?

Is a balanced and impartial viewpoint presented? Are opposing viewpoints included when one point of

view is presented? Are any conclusions presented? Are there links to and from other web sites? If so, did

a source sync with the viewed information?

To validate currency, ask…

When was the information created and is it considered current?

If the information is time-sensitive or evolving, when was it revised/updated?

Are newer sources available? Are there any broken links?

To validate accuracy, ask…

Where did the author obtain facts or supporting information?

Are sources credited with references, citations, or a bibliography?

Does source information includes footnotes? (applicable to research-related topics)

Are there links to other active web pages?

To validate relevancy, ask…

Why would I use this information? Does it answer my inquiry? Is it credible, comprehensive, and current?

After considering strengths and weaknesses, can I justify why this source would be the best one?

Does this source add to my current knowledge?

To validate authenticity, ask…

How was data collected? Were those methods sound?

Does collected data coincide with the goals of the research?

Were the results interpreted correctly? Was the information validated by peers or experts in

the field before it was published?

Click the Forward arrow to continue.

Quiz Clearance: password = cockroach

This concludes the learning portion of this module. Click the magnifying glass below to take the Evaluating Web Pages Quiz.

Simply enter your name (it can be fictitious) and the password cockroach in the applicable field; then click the Take Quiz button.

When finished, click the x in the right corner of the browser window to exit out your browser.

QUIZ

Resources/Credits <Placeholder>