How to Evaluate Web How to Evaluate Web ContentContent

Stephen Perry, Regional Stephen Perry, Regional Information Resources Officer, Information Resources Officer,

WASHINGTON, D.C.WASHINGTON, D.C.

PERRYSX2@STATE.GOV202-632-2747 Washington, DC202-632-2747 Washington, DC

Thanks to many authors for their invaluable ideas; last revised September 2011

““Do you want to find the Best Do you want to find the Best Resources on the Internet?”Resources on the Internet?”

““Casual users and serious Casual users and serious researchers place their trust in the researchers place their trust in the accuracy and completeness of the accuracy and completeness of the data on the network. data on the network. They’re They’re relying upon information of relying upon information of unknown pedigree and dubious unknown pedigree and dubious qualityquality, since precious little on the , since precious little on the Internet has been refereed or Internet has been refereed or reviewed.”reviewed.”

Clifford Stoll, Clifford Stoll, Silicon Snake Oil: Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Second Thoughts on the Information Highway. Information Highway. New York, New York, Doubleday, pg. 125Doubleday, pg. 125

Why evaluate?Why evaluate?

The Web is a no man’s land, The Web is a no man’s land, where anyone with sufficient where anyone with sufficient skills can publish any opinion skills can publish any opinion they wish. they wish.

Therefore, experience tells us Therefore, experience tells us that you will need additional and that you will need additional and critical skills to locate information critical skills to locate information of of real real quality and value.quality and value.

What do you think of this site?What do you think of this site?At the end of this session, your Homework At the end of this session, your Homework assignment will be to evaluate it carefully.assignment will be to evaluate it carefully.

Another view of this Web Page: what do you Another view of this Web Page: what do you notice about this page? Who is responsible for it? notice about this page? Who is responsible for it? From what you will learn, please analyze this siteFrom what you will learn, please analyze this site

Yet one more view of this web site that Yet one more view of this web site that purports to tell the truth about Dr. King: purports to tell the truth about Dr. King: what do you think?what do you think?

I.I. AUTHORITYAUTHORITY

Who or what organization is Who or what organization is responsible for the content? responsible for the content?

Is all contact information readily Is all contact information readily available? available?

How easy is it to reach someone if How easy is it to reach someone if you have questions about the you have questions about the content or authenticity of the Web content or authenticity of the Web Page?Page?

Does the Web Page list information Does the Web Page list information about the organization or individuals about the organization or individuals responsible for the content and responsible for the content and design of the page?design of the page?

II. II. ACCURACYACCURACY

Are all the links and information Are all the links and information verified? verified?

Is the information cited correctly?Is the information cited correctly? Who publishes the content and who Who publishes the content and who

is responsible for updating it?is responsible for updating it?

JUDGEJUDGE: DOES THIS SITE : DOES THIS SITE PRESENT ACCURATE AND PRESENT ACCURATE AND AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION?AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION?

III. III. APPROACHAPPROACH

What is the purpose of the content What is the purpose of the content and why was it produced?and why was it produced?

Does the content have a goal? Does the content have a goal? [Advertising vs. Educational vs. [Advertising vs. Educational vs. Propaganda?]Propaganda?]

How objective is the information? Is How objective is the information? Is it one person’s or one organization’s it one person’s or one organization’s point of view or opinion only?point of view or opinion only?

IV. IV. AGE ONLINEAGE ONLINE

When was the Web Page last When was the Web Page last updated? Does the Web Page state updated? Does the Web Page state explicitly “Last Updated …”explicitly “Last Updated …”

How many dead links [Web Rot] are How many dead links [Web Rot] are on the page?on the page?

Does the page indicate a contact or Does the page indicate a contact or an email address for additional an email address for additional information? information?

Judge: Is the information timely?Judge: Is the information timely?

V. V. AUDIENCE LEVELAUDIENCE LEVEL

Is the Web Page geared for a Is the Web Page geared for a specific audience? (i.e. specific audience? (i.e. Children/Adults/Teens/Political Children/Adults/Teens/Political or Religious Affiliation or or Religious Affiliation or Ideology, etc.?)Ideology, etc.?)

Is the content generic or very Is the content generic or very specific?specific?

JUDGE: WHAT IS THE VALUE JUDGE: WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THIS SITE?OF THIS SITE?

VI. VI. ACCESSIBILITYACCESSIBILITY

How Accessible is the web site?How Accessible is the web site? Consider issues such as use of Consider issues such as use of

color, patterns, organization, whether color, patterns, organization, whether the site offers the full text of the site offers the full text of documents listed or only a portion.documents listed or only a portion.

Is the site or part of it under Is the site or part of it under construction? For how long?construction? For how long?

Does the Web Page have a SITE Does the Web Page have a SITE INDEX for greater accessibility?INDEX for greater accessibility?

JUDGE: HOW EASY IS THIS SITE JUDGE: HOW EASY IS THIS SITE TO USE?TO USE?

A A REVIEW REVIEW OF POINTS JUST OF POINTS JUST COVEREDCOVERED QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN

LOOKING AT WEB SITES:LOOKING AT WEB SITES: Who manages the site?Who manages the site? When was it last updated?When was it last updated? Easy to use? Navigable? Easy to use? Navigable? Contains primary or secondary information?Contains primary or secondary information?

Example: Second hand news or the Example: Second hand news or the original source? original source?

Does the Site give you just their Does the Site give you just their interpretation or version of events with interpretation or version of events with no references to other interpretations? no references to other interpretations?

Does the Web Site offer Opinion or Fact?Does the Web Site offer Opinion or Fact?

Better Search Engines that actively Better Search Engines that actively evaluate information evaluate information via a human via a human filterfilter: http://www.ipl.org: http://www.ipl.org

INFOMINEINFOMINE: : http://infomine.ucr.eduhttp://infomine.ucr.edu

Virtual Library: Virtual Library: http://www.vlib.orghttp://www.vlib.org

Pinakes: Pinakes: http://www.hw.ac.uk/libwww/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html

INTERNET PUBLIC LIBRARY: INTERNET PUBLIC LIBRARY: http://http://www.ipl.org

For Legal and Business For Legal and Business Information: http://www.llrx.comInformation: http://www.llrx.com

Distance Education: Quality Online Distance Education: Quality Online Courses for Continuing Education: Courses for Continuing Education: http://ocw.mit.edu

Reference/Fast Facts at a Glance: Reference/Fast Facts at a Glance: http://http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/referencewww.archives.gov/research/alic/reference

For NGOs and Development Work For NGOs and Development Work around the Worldaround the World

Poynter Site for Journalists: Poynter Site for Journalists: www.poynter.orgwww.poynter.org

NEW SEARCH ENGINES AVAILABLE: from NEW SEARCH ENGINES AVAILABLE: from the http://the http://www.llrx.com web site—These sites web site—These sites use subject experts to use subject experts to evaluateevaluate the best sites the best sites in your subject areasin your subject areas

A QUIZ AND A REVIEWA QUIZ AND A REVIEW

Compare two statistical sites Compare two statistical sites related to WOMEN AND AIDS:related to WOMEN AND AIDS:

Go to GOOGLE AND TYPE IN Go to GOOGLE AND TYPE IN “AIDS AND WOMEN AND “AIDS AND WOMEN AND STATISTICS” and compare the STATISTICS” and compare the results and the types of web results and the types of web pages you retrieve.pages you retrieve.

What did you discover through What did you discover through this exercise?this exercise?

MORE REVIEWING VIA AN ONLINE MORE REVIEWING VIA AN ONLINE EXERCISEEXERCISE::

Search Google for information on Search Google for information on your country…or …a topic of your your country…or …a topic of your choice.choice.

Name the top 5 web sites --using Name the top 5 web sites --using and applying the criteria you just and applying the criteria you just learned.learned.

Look at Look at www.martinlutherking.organd discuss the problems with it. and discuss the problems with it. Does the site present opinion or Does the site present opinion or fact? How can you tell?fact? How can you tell?

AN ADDITIONAL QUIZAN ADDITIONAL QUIZ

READ THE ONLINE ARTICLE: READ THE ONLINE ARTICLE: ““In GOOGLE WE TRUST: In GOOGLE WE TRUST: INFORMATION INTEGRITY IN INFORMATION INTEGRITY IN THE DIGITAL AGETHE DIGITAL AGE” BY LEE ” BY LEE SHAKER. SHAKER. FIRST MONDAYFIRST MONDAY, vol. , vol. 11, no. 4 (APRIL 2006):11, no. 4 (APRIL 2006):

AvailableAvailable at: at: http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_4/shaker/index.html

What lessons did you learn from What lessons did you learn from this article?this article?

QUIZ TIMEQUIZ TIME Now go to http://www.ipl.org and Now go to http://www.ipl.org and

type in your country name in the type in your country name in the search window provided and search window provided and see if there is a difference in the see if there is a difference in the quality of the sites offered by quality of the sites offered by Internet Public Library Internet Public Library http://www.ipl.org) and Google.http://www.ipl.org) and Google.

What did you learn from this What did you learn from this exercise?exercise?

More information on how to More information on how to evaluate web pages can be found evaluate web pages can be found through the following web sitesthrough the following web sites http://www.library.jhu.edu/http://www.library.jhu.edu/

researchhelp/general/evaluating/researchhelp/general/evaluating/

http://library.albany.edu/internet/http://library.albany.edu/internet/evaluate.htmlevaluate.html

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.htmlEvaluate.html

http://www.virtualchase.com/quality/http://www.virtualchase.com/quality/index.htmlindex.html

More Sites with Information on More Sites with Information on how to evaluate Web Sites:how to evaluate Web Sites: RUTGERS: RUTGERS:

http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/guides/evaluathttp://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/guides/evaluate.htme.htm

ITHACA:ITHACA:http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think5.htmlthink5.html

ALBANY: A series of Internet Tutorials ALBANY: A series of Internet Tutorials available at: http://library.albany.edu/internet/available at: http://library.albany.edu/internet/

A Checklist for Evaluating Information: A Checklist for Evaluating Information: http://library.usm.maine.edu/research/researchttp://library.usm.maine.edu/research/researchguides/webevaluating.htmlhguides/webevaluating.html

More Sources to help you actively More Sources to help you actively evaluate informationevaluate information::

◙ ◙ Learn to Think Critically Project: Learn to Think Critically Project: http://www.lifehacker.com/software/feature/http://www.lifehacker.com/software/feature/seek-and-ye-shall-find-how-to-evaluate-seek-and-ye-shall-find-how-to-evaluate-sources-on-the-web-137843.phpsources-on-the-web-137843.php

◙ ◙ From About.com: From About.com: http://websearch.about.com/od/referencesehttp://websearch.about.com/od/referencesearch/a/evaluatesource.htm?rd=1arch/a/evaluatesource.htm?rd=1

◙ ◙ From a University Web Site:From a University Web Site:http://ejw.i8.com/webeval.htmhttp://ejw.i8.com/webeval.htm

◙ ◙ The Web Credibility Project at Stanford The Web Credibility Project at Stanford University: http://credibility.stanford.edu/University: http://credibility.stanford.edu/

IF YOU MUST INSIST ON USING GOOGLE, then IF YOU MUST INSIST ON USING GOOGLE, then PLEASE USE GOOGLE INTELLIGENTLY: here are PLEASE USE GOOGLE INTELLIGENTLY: here are ideas: www.blueroom.com/google/index.htmideas: www.blueroom.com/google/index.htm

Finally, have a research strategy in mind. Finally, have a research strategy in mind. Here is one from the U of Kentucky Libraries: Here is one from the U of Kentucky Libraries:

http://www.kyvl.org/kids/homebase.htmhttp://www.kyvl.org/kids/homebase.htmll

Here is the second half of the Here is the second half of the UKENTUCKY DiagramUKENTUCKY Diagram

The EndThe EndThank You for YourThank You for Your

Attention!Attention!PERRYSX2@STATE.GOVSTEPHEN PERRY202-632-2747IRO CENTRAL / SOUTHERN/ EASTERN AFRICA

Last revised 9/2011