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Evaluating
Web Resources
The Internet has become an important tool for
accessing many types of information resources, many of which are accessible
on Web sites. Since creating and mounting a Web page on a server is
relatively easy and inexpensive, there are many Web resources that may not be
accurate, credible, or timely. Books, journals and other resources found in
academic or research libraries and subscription databases have been evaluated
and edited by scholars, publishers and librarians. Unlike print or
audiovisual resources found in libraries, few Web pages go through a process
of editing, peer review, or library selection, so the quality of Web
resources varies.
The first step in evaluating a Web resource is to
determine the type of Web site on which it is found. This may provide
information about the intended audience and purpose of the site and may help
determine its reliability. You should also consider your particular purpose
and need for the information: a .com site may provide an excellent resource
for a specific purpose such as a company's annual report, but may not fill a
need for an unbiased overview of a product or service provided by the
company.
Types of Sites
The address or URL for
the page may help you to determine the type of Web site you are viewing. The
URL includes the protocol (usually http://), domain name,
and directory and file name. The domain name may indicate a commercial site,
network, non-profit organization, educational institution, or government
agency. These types of sites are described in the chart below.
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Type of
Site
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Domain
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Features
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Notes
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Education or government
sites
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.edu
.gov
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Informational
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May provide reliable
facts
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May be objective
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Education sites may
include pages authored by students
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Many community colleges
use .cc instead of .edu
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Business or commercial
sites
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.com
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Attempt to sell a
product or service, may be persuasive
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May be biased
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May include valuable
corporate information, corporate history, product information, product
help
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News sites are as
reliable as the print version of the publication
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Non-profit organizational
sites
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.org
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May attempt to
influence public opinion
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Verify facts presented
against other resources
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Personal Web pages
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Varies
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May be difficult to
determine author's affiliation
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Author may not be an
authority on the subject
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May provide links to
other authoritative sites
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Some addresses for
personal sites may include the tilde(~) symbol
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Sites designated by
country, may be any type
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.us
.uk
.mx
.jp
etc.
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.us sites are mainly
state government agencies, such as .cc.fl.us
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Country codes other
than .us may include the equivalent of all the other top level domains
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A .ac before the
country code (.ac.uk) indicates an academic or education site
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Evaluating the Web
Page
The next step is to
evaluate the site for your particular need. The table below provides a
checklist of the factors that should be considered.
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Author
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ü Who is the author? (This may be found at the
beginning or the end of a document. If there is no author or institutional
affiliation readily visible, it may be possible reach the home page from a
“home” link, or by deleting sections of the URL from right to left up to
the first slash (/) you reach. You may continue deleting until you reach
the domain section of the URL.)
ü Does he list his
occupation/credentials/qualifications/position?
ü Does he list a way (email, phone, surface mail) to
contact him?
ü If an organization sponsors the site, is the
purpose and scope of the organization given?
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Bias & Objectivity
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Check the author and type
of site for possible bias, then ask:
ü What is the purpose of the document? To explain?
Inform? Persuade? Encourage to buy something?
ü Who is the intended audience? Students?
Professionals? Lay people Businesses?
ü Are stereotypes or ethnocentric arguments used?
ü Are fallacious, misleading or deceptive arguments
used?
ü Are there links to information sources with other
viewpoints?
ü Is the page a satire, parody or spoof?
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Content & Currency
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ü Is the information credible? (Be familiar with your topic, verify facts, check other sources,
both Web and print.)
ü Are there many obvious typographical or
grammatical errors?
ü Are there links to other sources?
ü When was the document created or updated? Is that
information listed?
ü Is the information too old or too new for your
research needs?
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Display
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ü Do other features included (graphics, sound, etc.)
add or detract from the information?
ü Are the links functional and maintained?
ü Is the site organized in a way that makes
information easy to find?
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Adapted from:
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