ch7 - evaluation of internet sources

8/3/2019 CH7 - Evaluation of Internet Sources

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Evaluation of Internet Sources

K. Thulasi

National Centre for Science Information (NCSI)

Indian Institute of Science

Bangalore - 560 012

(E-Mail: [email protected])


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IISc 22-26 Nov99 IIRML P10 2

Evaluation of Internet Sources Introduction

Why Evaluate?

Criteria for evaluating Internet Sources- Purpose

- Scope/Coverage/Comprehensiveness

- Authority

- Audience

- Information content

- Design and layout

- Access/Workability


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Introduction

The availability and growth of the Internet offersall of us, the opportunity to find information and

data from all over the world. Internet resources, in particular World Wide Web

resources, continue to proliferate at an astonishingrate.

Some experts say that a new site is placed onlineevery 3 seconds!!

It is possible for almost anyone to place anythingon the Internet


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Introduction Companies, organizations, educational

institutions, communities and individual people all

serve as information providers for the electronicInternet community.

This sharing of resources and information is an

example of societal cooperation on a grand scale

and has fostered professional and personal

communications throughout the world.


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Why Evaluate ?

When we use a research or academic library, the books,

journals and other resources have already been evaluated by

a librarian or by a mechanism set up by a librarian.

When we use an index or a database to find information on

any given topic, the index or database is often produced bya professional or scholarly organization that selects the

journals to be indexed on the basis of their quality.

Every resource we find has been evaluated in one way or

another, before we ever see it.

When we are using the World Wide Web, none of this

applies.

There are no filters in between us and the Internet.


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Why Evaluate?

Now that anyone with access to a server and a passingknowledge of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) can

put information on the Internet, the problem has becomeone of sifting through a mass of advertising material andvanity publications in order to find information of high

quality. Information can be spread over the Internet by anyone

without regard to accuracy, validity, or bias.

Due to its global structure, which encompasses a variety oflegal systems and cultures, it is unlikely any one individual

or nation will be able to significantly influence, regulate, orchange the chaotic state of flux that characterizes theWorld Wide Web.

So using and citing information found over the Web is alittle like swimming on a beach without a lifeguard


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Why Evaluate?

Hence there is a need for librarians to evaluate Internetinformation sources in order to decide whether an Internetinformation source should be linked to a resource guide orlibrary Web site,

To judge the quality or appropriateness of information fora particular query or user.

Many libraries now maintain Web sites that have lists ofInternet information resources.

The development of subject resource guides is seen as a

logical role for librarians, extending to the onlineenvironment the traditional librarian's role of evaluating,selecting, and organizing published information.

It is part of the job of many of us - librarians orinformation managers - to select what our users will find

useful from this mass of information.


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Why Evaluate?

How do we decide whether or not to add details of anInternet site to our resource guide or Web page?

How can we judge the quality or appropriateness of aresource for a particular query or user?

What criteria should we use when recommending Internet

resources to an individual or class? Although many of the traditional principles of collection

development of printed materials will still apply to onlineresources, other factors come into play when consideringthe electronic medium.

For librarians and library users to make effective use of theInternet, they need criteria to use in evaluating theinformation found.

Without explicit criteria for selection of these sources,

libraries risk wasting their users' time with tools of dubiousvalue.


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Criteria for evaluating Internet

ResourcesResources should be evaluated on the basis of the

following broad levels of analysis:

Purpose

What is the purpose of the resource?

Resource should make their purpose obvious at first sight.

Does the site promote a product?

Does the resource fulfill the stated purpose?

If a site provides its own mission statement, the user can

verify whether the content matches this statement

A good resource will not be ambiguous and will not deflect

potential users, due to its poor communication of purpose.


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Scope

Is coverage integral, or is the resource part of a

greater whole? Does the resource contain substantive information

or is it simply a list of links?

Is the site intended to be comprehensive or

selective? Does the actual scope of the resource match

expectations?


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Authority

Author

Is Author/Producer identifiable?

Does Author/Producer has expertise on the subject as

indicated on a credentials page? What are the author's professional affiliations?

Can the author be contacted for clarification or to be

informed of new information?


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Authority

Resource

Is the information credible and of high quality?

Is the information objective?

Is there an obvious bias? Is this site designed forpromotional purposes?

How long has a resource been available (either in print

or as an electronic version)?

Is the information verifiable? Does the resource document the sources the

information is based on and how that information was

obtained?


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AuthorityResource

Is the material available in other forms, such as CD-ROM or print? If so, does the Internet resource offer thesame material, or more, or less? This will becomeincreasingly important with, for example,new

electronic-only journals. The site should have the confidence to offer a feedbackfacility such as a form, preferably with e-mail and

postal addresses as well

Is the resource sponsored in any way or funded by

grants? If copyright is an issue for the particular resource, the

site should include the name of the copyright holder.


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AuthorityResources

Has the site been favourably reviewed by a browser or

other Internet reviewing agency?

If the resource includes e-mail discussion list or

newsgroup or e-journal, have they been moderated,

refereed or indexed?

Does a recognised professional association or aspecialist information service link to the resource?


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Audience

Who are the intended users of this resource?

At what level is the resource pitched: a subject expert, a

layperson, or a school student? Will the resource satisfy the needs of the intended users?

Does your user group correspond to the intended audience?


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Information content

Accuracy Is the information in the resource accurate? - You may

wish to check this against other resources, or by

checking some information about which you have

special knowledge. Is the origin of the content documented? Are facts

verifiable and accurate?

Is the information factual, or opinion? - Can its

objectivity be assessed?

Are there political or ideological biases?

Objective, correct, referenced, or professionally

sponsored information is a mark of accuracy

Is a subject specialist available who could advise as to

the accuracy of information content?


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Information Content

Currency

If a resource is meant to be updated regularly, how

reliable is the updating?

Different parts of web sites may be updated at different

times For example, e-journals, news sections,

bulletin boards, and any section dedicated to new

information should be updated fairly frequently

Does the organisation or person hosting the resource

appear to have a commitment to ongoing maintenanceand stability of the resource?


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Information ContentCurrency

Fast moving fields produce more new information and

need more frequent updates.

A six month interval is the maximum acceptable period

between updates regardless of discipline.

Does the site evolve over time, or would one visit besufficient?


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Information Content

Uniqueness Is the resource original, or has it been derived from

other sources?

Is the information in this resource available in otherforms (for example other sites, Gopher, WWW, print,

CD-ROM)? What advantages does this particularresource have?

If the resource is derived from another format, forexample print, does it have all the features of theoriginal?

-Have extra features been added?

-Does it complement another resource, for instanceby providing updates to a print source?


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Information Content

Uniqueness

Does the Internet site contain comparable and complete

information? For example, some newspapers have

partial but not full text information on the Internet A particular site may not be available when required,

and an alternative or mirror site may have to be used

Redundancy may be valuable on the Internet

What do other reviewing services say about the site? Librarians in the Internet environment will need to

become familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of

the range of sources reviewing Internet resources


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Quality of writing

Is the text well written?

While hypertext linking and multimedia are important

elements of the Web, the bulk of the information content

on the Web still lies in text, and quality of writing isimportant for the content to be communicated clearly.

Does the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling and

literary composition?


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Design and layout

Organization

Are the resources well organized and logically

presented?

Are the individual Web pages concise, or do you haveto scroll forever?

How big is the resource? - If a resource is particularly

large, it should really be sensibly and logically divided

into unique and separate segments of information withgood navigation links between each segment.

Does the design promote understanding of the content?

Is a text-only version available?


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Organization Is the organisational scheme appropriate, for example

chronological for an historical source, or geographical

for a regional resource?

Are menus, headings and formatting used effectively?

Is the balance of links and text good? - A Web

document that has a vast tree of links is difficult to

navigate and overwhelming to the eye.

Is there a consistent look and feel from one page to

another? - Visual similarities in all sections


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Navigability

Can you find your way around and easily locate a

particular page from any other page?

Are there enough internal links?

If the value of the site lies in its links to other resources,are the links kept up to date, and made to appropriate

resources?

Is navigation through the site logical?

A good resource should encourage seamless movementbetween sections of data.


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Navigability Are there good back and forward links between pages?

Are links relevant to the topic/category?

Do essential instructions appear before links andinteractive portions?

Is it obvious when you move to a new site, or does anoutside link appear internal?

Can you "back" out of the site, or do you get stuck

looping between pages? Is an indication of size provided in kilobytes where a

link leads to large volumes of data (text, images, video,or voice)?


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Style & Functionality

Functionality is of primary importance - Is the general

layout of a resource functional?

Whatever the level of technology employed, it must

function well and allow the user to progress logically

through the information.

Is the overall design of the site aesthetically pleasing?

Is a choice of display formats available?

A very simple, classic design can appeal as much as a

clever, graphically innovative one


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Colour Are the text and background colour choices contrasting

enough for the text to be easily read?

Is the background plain enough for the text to be easilyread?

Are backgrounds or other visual elements distracting or

cluttered?

Is the page cluttered?

Or does it include too much blank space which makes

printing costly?


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Graphics Does the document follow good graphic design

principles?

Are the graphics clear and representative? Are the graphics functional or decorative?

Do the icons clearly represent what is intended?

Are the graphics too complex and make the page

frustratingly slow to load up or to print?

Are images used appropriately (eg are thumbnail

images used)?


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Multimedia If the site is multimedia, consider creativity,

quality of the image and sound, and interactivity.

If audio, video, virtual reality modeling, etc areused, are they appropriate to the purpose of the

source?

Good web sites weave together relevant text,

audio, video, and still images to give users a rich

experience


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Ease of use For interactive sites, such as databases and search

engines, it is vital that 'Help' on how to use the system

is readily available

How usable is the site? Can visitors get the information

they need within a reasonable number of links -preferably 3 or fewer clicks

Does it encourage you to explore further? - A good

resource should encourage exploration

Are there single document options for those resourcesthat may be printed?


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Ease of use.. Users are likely to visit a site again only if they enjoy

using it.

In the case of compressed files, is it clear how to gainaccess to the files?

An issue in providing access to electronic documents is

whether a library should just provide links to the

originating site, or "acquire" the publication for local

access.


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Searchability/Site search engine

Is a simple search facility available?

How effectively can information be retrieved from

the resource?

Is a full complement of search options available? -Eg use of Boolean logic for search term

combination, truncation, adjacency and proximity

searching, field searching, keyword searching,

case sensitivity

Are any special search features available? Eg

access to a thesaurus of terms to choose from


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Searchability

For a database resource can a search session be maintained?

can search sets be created and combined?

is the search interface resilient

is the search speed acceptable?

What operators and ranking features are available?

Is the search engine interface intuitive?

Does the search engine index the whole resource?

Where interactive features such as forms, cgiscripts etc are provided, do these work?

Are there links to search engines or is a searchengine attached to (embedded in) the Web site?


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Required computer environment

Browsability Is the resource viewable effectively (i.e., without loss of

essential information and navigability) in non-graphical

browsers - Lynx

If Java or ActiveX, extensions like frames, or plug-ins areemployed, do they actually improve the site? How do they

affect users with older browsers?

A good resource should be compatible with all Internet

browsers. Are there alternative options for those WWW resources

which contain Netscape specific features such as tables?

The information may be significantly altered or affected

when viewed in a non-Netscape browser


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Browsability

It is useful to test resources with a variety ofbrowsers and connections.

Telnet resources may pose problems to users who have

not installed a telnet client.

Images and other multimedia may create problems if

users have not installed the correct viewer.

While the extent to which older browsers are still used

is a source of argument, there are still Lynx only users,

frames challenged users, visually impaired users outthere, and sites should attempt to cater for them.


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Connectivity

If more than one user will need to access a site,consider each users' access and "functionality."

How do users connect to the Internet and whatkind of connection does the assigned resource

require? Does access to the resource require a graphical

user interface?

If it is a popular (busy) resource, will it be

accessible in the time frame needed?

Is it accessible by more than one Internet tool?

Do users have access to the same Internet toolsand applications?


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Connectivity

Are users familiar with the tools and applications? Can the resource be accessed reliably, or is it

frequently overloaded or offline?

Is a local mirror site available, or do international

traffic charges have to be incurred? How long does it take to download? - Particularly

one which heavily relies on graphics, is aparticularly long textual document, or is a large

piece of software. Provide a warning to indicate itssize and potential transfer time.

Currently Internet information resources areperceived as being "free".


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Cost/charging policy

Costs do exist, can be divided into (a)Traffic charges - costs of connecting to the resource

and

(b) Costs associated with the use of the intellectualproperty contained in the resource.

How do charges compare with alternative sources?

If a resource is freeware, is there also a sharewareor a full cost version?

If a dataset is available for free, is there a fullersuperset available for a fee?

Libraries have a role in negotiating subscriptionsand site licenses for organisational access tocharged services


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Copyright/Censorship/Encryption

Does your institution, based on its mission, parentorganization or space limitations, apply somerestrictions to Internet use

Is the information in the public domain and free

from copyright restrictions? A special mention should be made if resources

are freely available for reuse

Is further distribution or reuse restricted?

When it is necessary; to send confidentialinformation out over the Internet, is encryption(i.e., a secure coding system) available? Howsecure is it?


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Copyright Even if the copyright notice does not appear

prominently, someone wrote, or is responsible for,the creation of a document, graphic, sound orimage, and the material falls under the copyrightconventions.

Internet users, as users of print media, mustrespect copyright and should consider censorshipand privacy issues

Are interactions secured if they involve privateinformation?


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Language

Is the standard of HTML coding indicated? In what language is the site written?

If the site is offered in translation, is thetranslation accurate?

Is the resource entirely in English? Is a significant part of the resource available in

English?

Is it available in other languages as well?

Is a special character set in use?

If particular fonts are required to read a resource,then this should be mentioned in the resourcedescription.


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User support

Is it available free or at a nominal cost?

Are search aids available?

Do news items point to useful features, as well asto temporary availability problems?

Is there a user discussion list which can provide

support?

Is there a user group which can take forward user

suggestions?


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Criteria Used by Internet

Evaluation Sites A number of resources on the Internet evaluate

sites for selection, review, or rating.

Some of them were studied to identify the list of

criteria used by them as most popular to evaluate

other resources.


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Criteria used

Best of 1996 Social Sciences, Humanities &Asian-Pacific Studies WWW Resources

The Argus Clearinghouse

CyberHound

CyberStacks Infofilter

The Internet Public Library

Magellan Internet Guide

Sitegrade Stevie's WWW Ratings

Criteria Used to Select Links for Resources'Catalogues: a Collaborative Gathering of Thoughts andIdeas


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Criteria

This indicates that appearance is widely regarded as

important, even among sites that are primarily concerned

with content.

The organization of the site and ease with which users can

find their way around are also seen as important in the

Internet environment.

All evaluation sites included some aspect of content and

workability.

The traditional reference librarian's criteria of currency,

authority, and audience are also widely used.


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Related References

Alastair Smith - Criteria for evaluation of Internet InformationResources/ www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/index.htm

Ann Scholz, Rutgers University Libraries - Evaluating World Wide

Web Information Carolyn Caywood- library

http://crab.rutgers.edu/~scholzcr/eval.html

Selection Criteria for WWW Resources/ -www6.pilot.infi.net/~carolyn/criteria.html

Elizabeth Kirk, Johns Hopkins University - Evaluating information

found on the Internet/

http://milton.mse.jhu.edu:8001/research/education/net.html

Esther Grassian, UCLA College Library - Thinking Critically aboutWorld Wide Web Resources

www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/instruct/critical.htm

Hope Tillman - Evaluating quality on the net/

www.tiac.net/users/hope/findqual.html


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Related References

Julie Kwan, Science & Engineering Library, University ofSouthern California, November 1993 - Criteria forEvaluating Information Resources www-lib.usc.edu/Info/Sci/pubs/criteval.html

Lisa Janicke - Resource selection and information

evaluation.http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~janicke/Evaluate.html

Robert Harris, Southern California College. EvaluatingInternet Research Sources.www.sccu.edu/faculty/R_Harris/evalu8it.htm

Sandra Wittman Evaluating Web Siteswww.oakton.edu/~wittman/find/eval.htm

William Trochim Evaluating Websiteshttp://trochim.human.cornell.edu/webeval/webeval.htm


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Related References

Evaluating Web Sites: Criteria and Tools Part of a CornellUniversity site on carrying out research.

www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/webeval.html

Criteria Used to Select Links for Resources' Catalogues: a

collaborative gathering of thoughts and ideas.www.ciolek.com/WWWVLPages/QltyPages/QltyLinks.html

Scout Report Selection Criteria: Detailed criteria used by this

widely regarded current awareness service.

wwwscout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/criteriatxt.html

University of Georgia project Evaluating the Quality of

Internet Information Sources

http://itech1.coe.uga.edu/Faculty/gwilkinson/webeval.html

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