Evaluating Web Sources

Created by

Mohammad Al-KhelaiwiMeng-Chuan Hsieh

Mohammad Al-Obaid

What is the Internet?

What is the Internet?

A worldwide network of computers that can be accessed via the TPL (Third Party

Liability) computer network. The Internet allows local computer users to find and

use information resources on computers of other academic institutions, research

institutes, private companies, government agencies and individuals.

Objectives

I. Students will learn to how to determine whether a website is suitable for college research and whether it meets their research needs for a particular assignment.

II. Students will learn to evaluated by a set of five criteria: Authority, Purpose, Objectivity, Currency and Support

III. . Students will learn how to identify web tricks. IV. Students will learn about search engine and

alternative ways to find good websites.

Introduction

Nowadays, internet has been an important platform to provide much information. Any information that you want could be

found in different websites. Besides, everyone could edit and offer

information in the internet, and that is why the web sources are complicated

and various.

The advantages of web sources

First reason is convenience. There are fewer limitations of time and space when people want to get information immediately. In the past, a library is the first place when students need data or other materials. However, it spends people’s time going to a library or searching for booklist or articles.

Second, efficiency is also important. After fining journals or books, students have to read those materials to get the information what they need. Nevertheless, it is an easy way to key in some key words in Google or Yahoo while pressing down the enter button, and then the information will show on the screen. On the other hand, students could hunt for information on the internet rather than going to a library. Everyone could seek web sources what they need if they are in the places with internet, like iPhone and Blackberry.

The disadvantages of web sources

Although it is beneficial for students to use web sources, there are still some disadvantages. The reliability and validity of web resources are easily doubted, because anyone could provide or edit information on the internet. Some people like to express their own opinions on the internet, and this kind of information includes many bias and personal values.

Additionally, some web sources are unfiltered. For example, anyone could edit information on Wikipedia. Many students like to read articles from Wikipedia in the beginning when they need some knowledge. Wikipedia could deliver students the most general stories about some history, backgrounds of events, or autobiography. However, everyone could edit the pages. We do not really know whether the editor has professional knowledge or not. The unfiltered information is not trustworthy when students find web resources only by key words.

The strategies of evaluating web

resources

Authority and Credibility

• Who wrote the page?• What are the author's credentials?• Can you verify the author's credentials?• Could the credentials be made up?• Did the author include contact information?• Whose web site is this?• What organization is sponsoring the web

page?

Purpose/Intended Audience

• What is the purpose of the page?• Why did the author create

it?• Who is the target audience?

Currency

• When was it produced?• When was it updated?• How up-to-date are the links (if any)?

Objectivity

• What goals/objectives does this page meet?• How detailed is the information?• What opinions (if any) are expressed

by the author?

Support

• Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the documents' themes?• Is it all images or a balance of text

and images?• Is the information presented

cited correctly?

The types of URL:.com commercial.edu educational.mil militaryorg nonprofit organization.gov U.S. government.net network

Conclusion

You will find yourself using the Internet for information. The Internet is only one of a variety of information options. Remember that journals, books, videos and other sources are available as well. Evaluating information is a skill you will be using throughout your lifetime.