Transcript Evaluation of web sites

Evaluation of web sites
Evaluation
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Quality of Web resources varies a lot!
 Criteria needed to evaluate Web
resources
 We need to evaluate:
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Accuracy
Authority
Objectivity
Currency
Coverage
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It is often difficult to tell
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what something is
where it came from
how it got there
who the author is
Don't you think if it was important
enough to put out on the Internet, people
should give pertinent information about
it? But this is not always the case!
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Accuracy
How reliable and free from error is
the information?
 Are there editors and fact checkers?
 How does this information compare
with that in other sources in the
field?
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Accuracy
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Almost anyone can publish on the
Web
are they reliable? accurate? truthful?
 is it meaningful? thoughtful?
researched?
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Many Web resources not verified by
editors and/or fact checkers
 Web standards to ensure accuracy
not fully developed
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Authority
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What are the author’s qualifications
for writing on the subject?
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What is her/his occupation, position,
education, experience?
How reputable is the publisher?
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Authority
Often difficult to determine
authorship of Web resources
 If author’s name listed, his/her
qualifications frequently absent
 Publisher responsibility often not
indicated
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Objectivity
Is the information presented with a
minimum of bias?
 To what extent is the information
trying to sway the opinion of the
audience?
 Goals/aims of persons or groups
presenting material often not clearly
stated
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Objectivity
 To
what audience is the author writing?
 Is this reflected in the writing style,
vocabulary, or tone?
 Does the material inform? explain?
persuade?
 Is there sufficient evidence?
 What conclusions are drawn?
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Currency
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Is the content of the work up-to-date?
 Is the publication date clearly indicated?
 Dates not always included on Web pages
 If included, a date may have various
meanings:
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Date first created
Date placed on Web
Date last updated
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Coverage
What topics are included in the
work?
 To what depth are topics explored?
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Additional Challenges
Use of Hypertext Links
 Use of Frames
 Search Engines Can Retrieve
Pages Out of Context
 Marketing-Oriented Web Pages
 Blending of Entertainment,
Information, and Advertising
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Additional Challenges
Software Requirements May Limit
Access
 Instability of Web Pages
 Susceptibility of Web Pages to
Alteration
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Use of Hypertext Links
Quality of Web pages linked to
original Web page may vary
 Coping Strategy:
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Evaluate each Web page
independently
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Use of Frames
Each frame displays a separate
Web page
 Coping Strategy:
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Evaluate each frame independently
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Search Engines Can Retrieve Web
Pages Out of Context
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Coping Strategy:
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Always try to return to the home page
to determine the source of information
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Marketing-Oriented Web Pages
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In other media, there usually are clear
visual and/or audio distinctions between
advertising and information
 On the Web, distinctions between
advertising and information can become
extremely blurred
 Coping Strategy:
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Try to determine if advertising and
informational content are supplied by the
same person or organization
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Software Requirements May Limit
Access to Information
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Full access may require additional software
 Browsers may alter the appearance of Web
Pages
 Be aware that software limitations may:
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Alter how much information is obtainable
Alter the appearance of information obtained
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Instability of Web Pages
Web pages may move or disappear
without notice
 User may not be able to refer back
to a Web page
 Try to determine the stability of your
source
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Web Pages Susceptible to Alteration
Accidental alteration
 Deliberate alteration
 Attempt to verify information using
other sources
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Web Page Evaluation Procedure
Step 1: Identify type of page
 Step 2: Use appropriate checklist
 Step 3: Based on checklist criteria,
determine relative quality of page
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Web Page Evaluation Procedure
Step 1: Identify the Type of Web
Page
 Business/Marketing
 Informational
 News
 Personal
 Entertainment
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Web Page Evaluation Procedure
Step 2: Use the Appropriate Checklist
 Answer questions with Yes or No
Step 3: Based on the Checklist Criteria,
Determine the Relative Quality of the
Web Page
 The greater number of checklist
questions answered yes, the more likely
the page is of higher informational
quality
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Conclusion
Web evaluation techniques are only
beginning to be developed
 Establishing evaluation procedures
will be an ongoing evolutionary
process
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Links to Sites/Pages Which Can Be Used
to Discuss Authority and Accuracy
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Tobacco Control Archives
(http://www.library.ucsf.edu/tobacco/index.html)
WWW.CIOLEK.COM Asia Pacific Research
Online (http://www.ciolek.com)
The Onion (http://www.theonion.com)
Dihydrogen Monoxide (http://www.dhmo.org)
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
(http://www.ushmm.org)
Institute for Historical Review (http://www.ihr.org)
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Links to Sites/Pages Which Can Be
Used to Discuss Objectivity
The National Right to Life Committee
(http://www.nrlc.org)
NARAL (National Abortion and
Reproductive Rights Action League)
(http://www.naral.org)
Consumer Reports Online
(http://www.consumerreports.org)
BeefNutrition.org
(http://www.beefnutrition.org)
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Links to Sites/Pages Which Can Be Used
to Discuss Currency and Coverage
USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com)
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary,
1913 Edition
(http://humanities.uchicago.edu/forms_unrest/w
ebster.form.html
CNN (htp://www.cnn.com)
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Links to Sites/Pages Which Can Be Used to
Discuss Additional Evaluation Challenges
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Marketing Oriented Web Pages (Blending
Advertising and Entertainment or Information)
No Smoke Home Page
(http://www.smokefreekids.com/)
Melatonin Central (http://www.melatonin.com)
The "Alternative" White House
(http://www.whitehouse.net)
The Official White House (http://www.whitehouse.gov)
Chips Ahoy (http://www.chipsahoy.com)
Joe Boxer (http://www.joeboxer.com)
CourtTV (http://www.trutv.com)
Time Warner's Pathfinder
(http://www.pathfinder.com/welcome)
Sites Which May Require Additional Software to
View Selected Pages
PBS Kids (http://www.pbs.org/kids)
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Examples of the Various Types of Web
Pages
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Advocacy Web Pages
Physicians for Social Responsibility
(http://www.psr.org)
The National Anti-Vivisection Society
(http://www.navs.org)
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Business/Marketing Web Pages
Lands' End Direct Merchants
(http://www.landsend.com/)
General Motors (http://gm.com)
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Informational Web Pages
Environmental Protection Agency
(http://www.epa.gov)
OncoLink (http://www.oncolink.upenn.edu)
Buddhist Studies WWW Virtual Library
(http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-Buddhism.html)
Smithsonian Institution (http://www.si.edu)
 News Web Pages
Washington Post
(http://www.washingtonpost.com)
Wall Street Journal (http://www.wsj.com)
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Personal Web Pages
Larry Wall’s Home Page
(http://www.wall.org/~larry/)
Timothy Burke's Home Page
(http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSc
i/tburke1)
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