| JOUR
5521
Fall 2003 |
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| Authority | Always
look for signed pages. Does the author/publisher provide any information
about him/herself? Do the pages contain links to mail comments/questions?
Are organizational affiliation, educational background, professional credentials
included? Does the person have expertise in this field? Can you find information
about the individual in standard biographical sources. Can you find articles
or books written by an individual in standard bibliographical sources such
as indexes and catalogs? For example, if a website is maintained by a physician,
has he or she written any articles or books?
If the website is maintained by an organization, how long has the organization been around? Can you find information about an organization in an encyclopedia or directory? Is there an "About this site" page with background information about the organization and purpose of the web site? A commercial publisher, such as the New York Times, must maintain its reputation. Material published on its website has gone through an editorial process aimed at eliminating errors of fact. A well-known organization must also maintain its reputation by applying organizational standards to web publications. In addition, a government entity (state, local, federal, foreign or international) generally applies the same standards to both print and web publications. Clues: The domain (.edu .org .com .gov .net .mil) may or may not be a reliable indicator of organizational status. The company which assigns domain names for .com, Net, and .org does not ask for proof of status. For example, scams (diploma mills, etc.) may be hiding behind .edu and .org domains. Government (.gov) and military (Mil) domains are assigned by agencies of the federal government. The WhoIs server at Network Solutions can help unravel who "owns" a domain name. How is this useful? Read "How To Find ìWhoisî Behind a Website " You can also use Allwhois.com to find out more about ownership. |
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| Currency and Revision | Does
the site mention when the content was created? Do the pages have a date
of last update included? (This often can be found at the bottom of the
page.) And how old is that date? Are the links maintained?
Is there any evidence that content of the pages is revised as information changes? Does the author/publisher mention how often the page is updated? Are statistics updated? Does the content of the site provide any clues about when the content was last revised? Even if the page does include a "last update" date that is relatively recent, the update might have been cosmetic rather than substantive. So is the information current? Is this a stable web site? Or a "here today, gone tomorrow" student effort? The tilde mark (~) often indicates a personal page. Personal pages may be less stable than a commercially sponsored site, such as CNN, or a government site, such as Thomas. Remember, though, that even if the page isn't current, it may be useful for your research, depending on the topic, as long at the information is accurate and credible. |
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| Credibility | In
addition to the author/publisher's personal or organizational expertise,
does the site itself cover the subject well? What kind of breadth and depth
does the site have? Does the site cover too much in too general a manner?
Are there large gaps in the content? Do you need more information than
the site offers?
Is the source of the information identified? Is there a bibliography of works consulted? Overall, what is the value of the site? Would a print work be better? Is the content enriched by the electronic environment? (i.e., links to related resources, interactive applications). |
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| Bias/Objectivity | Is
any bias evident in the pages? Do the pages contain any statement of purpose?
Identify a sponsor? Who seems to be funding the site? Does the information
appear to be directed to a specific audience or group of viewers? Is there
any advertising that might indicate the audience that the site is targeting?
Bias in a page maybe ok...but it should be up front. |
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| Reviews | Has the resource been included in any of the Web reviewing publications, such as Scout Report or C & RL News Internet Reviews? Has it received favorable mention from a newspaper or magazine? Or been rated by a directory of resources? Do reputable organizations link to the site? Check with Hotbot or Altavista. Make sure to check what the site says about the link. | |
| Other considerations | Privacy
policy: For a site that wants information from the viewer, is there
a statement about the company's privacy policy on the web site? If it's
a commercial site do they provide any warning about collecting information
from their web surfing audience? Is it stated that your e-mail address
might be shared with anyone interested in purchasing their subscriber list?
Is the privacy policy prominently displayed on the web site?
Organization and ease of use: Are pages easy to navigate? Do they include navigation aids, such as links to home, an index, site-map, links to main sections, or search feature? Graphics: Do graphics, sounds, movies, etc., enhance the information content? Or are they distracting nuisances? Does the site require additional plugins for use? Do the pages load quickly? |
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