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Evaluation of web sites

Evaluation of web sites. Evaluation. Quality of Web resources varies a lot! Criteria needed to evaluate Web resources We need to evaluate: Accuracy Authority Objectivity Currency Coverage. It is often difficult to tell. what something is where it came from how it got there

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Evaluation of web sites

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  1. Evaluation of web sites

  2. Evaluation • Quality of Web resources varies a lot! • Criteria needed to evaluate Web resources • We need to evaluate: • Accuracy • Authority • Objectivity • Currency • Coverage

  3. It is often difficult to tell • 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!

  4. 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?

  5. Accuracy • Almost anyone can publish on the Web • are they reliable? accurate? truthful? • is it meaningful? thoughtful? researched? • Many Web resources not verified by editors and/or fact checkers • Web standards to ensure accuracy not fully developed

  6. Authority • What are the author’s qualifications for writing on the subject? • What is her/his occupation, position, education, experience? • How reputable is the publisher?

  7. Authority • Often difficult to determine authorship of Web resources • If author’s name listed, his/her qualifications frequently absent • Publisher responsibility often not indicated

  8. 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

  9. 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?

  10. Currency • 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: • Date first created • Date placed on Web • Date last updated

  11. Coverage • What topics are included in the work? • To what depth are topics explored?

  12. 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

  13. Additional Challenges • Software Requirements May Limit Access • Instability of Web Pages • Susceptibility of Web Pages to Alteration

  14. Use of Hypertext Links • Quality of Web pages linked to original Web page may vary • Coping Strategy: • Evaluate each Web page independently

  15. Use of Frames • Each frame displays a separate Web page • Coping Strategy: • Evaluate each frame independently

  16. Search Engines Can Retrieve Web Pages Out of Context • Coping Strategy: • Always try to return to the home page to determine the source of information

  17. Marketing-Oriented Web Pages • 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: • Try to determine if advertising and informational content are supplied by the same person or organization

  18. Software Requirements May Limit Access to Information • Full access may require additional software • Browsers may alter the appearance of Web Pages • Be aware that software limitations may: • Alter how much information is obtainable • Alter the appearance of information obtained

  19. 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

  20. Web Pages Susceptible to Alteration • Accidental alteration • Deliberate alteration • Attempt to verify information using other sources

  21. 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

  22. Web Page Evaluation Procedure Step 1: Identify the Type of Web Page • Business/Marketing • Informational • News • Personal • Entertainment

  23. 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

  24. Conclusion • Web evaluation techniques are only beginning to be developed • Establishing evaluation procedures will be an ongoing evolutionary process

  25. Links to Sites/Pages Which Can Be Used to Discuss Authority and Accuracy • 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)

  26. 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)

  27. 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/webster.form.html CNN (htp://www.cnn.com)

  28. Links to Sites/Pages Which Can Be Used to Discuss Additional Evaluation Challenges • 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 PagesPBS Kids (http://www.pbs.org/kids)

  29. Examples of the Various Types of Web Pages • Advocacy Web PagesPhysicians for Social Responsibility (http://www.psr.org)The National Anti-Vivisection Society (http://www.navs.org) • Business/Marketing Web PagesLands' End Direct Merchants(http://www.landsend.com/) General Motors (http://gm.com)

  30. Informational Web PagesEnvironmental 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 PagesWashington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com) Wall Street Journal (http://www.wsj.com)

  31. Personal Web PagesLarry Wall’s Home Page (http://www.wall.org/~larry/)Timothy Burke's Home Page (http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/tburke1)

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