Information Literacy Guide | Selecting & Analyzing Information | Internet Considerations Resources | Site Outline

 

Selecting & Analyzing Information: Internet Considerations

  1. Selecting Resources
  2. Evaluating Resources
  3. Internet Considerations

 

 Anybody can put anything on the web. Unlike traditional print resources, web resources rarely have editors or people who check out the facts of a published web site. Currently, no web standards exist to ensure accuracy. This is why you must be especially careful using information from the Internet.

Here are some questions to ask when looking for information

Authority Criteria: Ask these questions -

  • Is it clear who is authoring the page?
  • Is the author qualified or considered an expert?
  • Is there a sponsor?
  • How reputable is the sponsor?
  • Is there a link to information about the author/sponsor: phone number,
    address (simply an email address is not enough).

Accuracy Criteria: Ask these questions -

  • Are the sources for any factual information clearly listed so they can be verified in another source?
  • Is the information free of grammatical, spelling, etc. errors (indicates lack of quality control)?

Objectivity Criteria: Ask these questions -

  • Is the information provided as a public service?
  • Is the information free of advertising?
  • If there is any advertising on the page, is it clearly differentiated from the informational content?
  • For any given piece of information, is bias indicated?
  • Is the site designed to sway opinion?

Currency Criteria: Ask these questions -

  • Are there dates on the page to indicate when it was first written?
  • Are there dates on the page to indicate when it was first placed on the Web?
  • Are there dates on the page to indicate when it was last revised?
  • Are there any other indications that the material is kept current?
  • If material is presented in graphs/charts, is it clearly stated when the data was gathered?

Coverage Criteria: Ask these questions -

  • Is it clear whether the site intends to cover all or part of the subject?
  • If there is a print equivalent, is the site all or part of the print source?
  • Is there enough information at this site? (Beware of pretty but useless pictures)

 

 

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Last modified: October, 2003 by Steinke, Ague, Feuerhelm, Maxwell, and Warburg