How to Evaluate Web How to Evaluate Web ContentContent

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

U.S. Embassy, ACCRAU.S. Embassy, ACCRA

PERRYSX2@STATE.GOV+233 030 273 1172+233 030 273 1172

Thanks to many authors for their invaluable ideas

When searching the Internet, the statement When searching the Internet, the statement below is the below is the bestbest guide: guide: USE YOUR BRAINUSE YOUR BRAIN, , DO DO NOT NOT AUTOMATICALLY TRUST AUTOMATICALLY TRUST

RESULTSRESULTS

““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.

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?

Here is a checklist written by the UCLA Here is a checklist written by the UCLA Libraries with tips to help you evaluate Libraries with tips to help you evaluate the authenticity of websitesthe authenticity of websites

http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/11605_12337.cfm

UCLA CHECKLISTUCLA CHECKLIST: THINKING : THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT WEBSITESCRITICALLY ABOUT WEBSITES

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?

The Internet Public Library: The Internet Public Library: 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

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 World: around the World: www.eldis.org

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

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 GHANA…or …a topic of your GHANA…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.

Find the Ku Klux Klan Website and Find the Ku Klux Klan Website and discuss the problems with it. Does discuss the problems with it. Does the site present opinion or fact? the site present opinion or fact? How can you tell?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):

This article availableThis article available at: at: http://www.firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1320/1240

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

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

type in “type in “GhanaGhana” in the search ” in the search window provided and see if window provided and see if there is a difference in the 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.) 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.ucla.edu/libraries/college/11605_12337.cfm

http://library.albany.edu/usered/eval/index.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/evaluate.http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/guides/evaluate.htmhtm

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/usered/available at: http://library.albany.edu/usered/

A Checklist for Evaluating Information: A Checklist for Evaluating Information: http://library.usm.maine.edu/research/researchhttp://library.usm.maine.edu/research/researchguides/webevaluating.htmlguides/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 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: ideas: www.blueroom.com/google/index.htmwww.blueroom.com/google/index.htm

AND NOW FOR A REVIEWAND NOW FOR A REVIEW

Let’s look at the following slides Let’s look at the following slides for a final reviewfor a final review

A GOOGLE SEARCH ON A GOOGLE SEARCH ON “MARTIN LUTHER KING”“MARTIN LUTHER KING”

The site in detail: The site in detail: www.martinlutherking.orgwww.martinlutherking.org

More detail: from site retrieved by More detail: from site retrieved by GOOGLE: www.martinlutherking.orgGOOGLE: www.martinlutherking.org

More of this web site retrieved More of this web site retrieved by GOOGLEby GOOGLE

Note who actually hosts --or is Note who actually hosts --or is responsible for this website? responsible for this website? STORMFRONTSTORMFRONT

WHO IS STORMFRONT?WHO IS STORMFRONT?

My point here is that Google will My point here is that Google will retrieve retrieve even racist and violent even racist and violent

information that the average person – information that the average person – who believes anything Google who believes anything Google retrieves - might accept as fact.retrieves - might accept as fact.

I shudder to think that anyone I shudder to think that anyone would accept the information would accept the information in www.martinlutherking.org in www.martinlutherking.org

as factas fact..

I stress this point because:I stress this point because:

Google Google does not does not evaluate any web evaluate any web site it brings you; it often just retrieves site it brings you; it often just retrieves the most popular websites that people the most popular websites that people have looked athave looked at

Please be careful in automatically Please be careful in automatically accepting anything that Google accepting anything that Google retrieves; there are many guides for retrieves; there are many guides for how to search Google carefully and how to search Google carefully and there are better designed search there are better designed search engines.engines.

One of these is the Internet Public One of these is the Internet Public Library: www.ipl.orgLibrary: www.ipl.org

Use our Use our IRC ACCRA INTERNET IRC ACCRA INTERNET GUIDE GUIDE for better Search Enginesfor better Search Engines

Use the Internet Public Library: Use the Internet Public Library: www.ipl.orgwww.ipl.org

Here are resources by subject in Here are resources by subject in IPL: www.ipl.orgIPL: www.ipl.org

A search on Martin Luther King in the Internet A search on Martin Luther King in the Internet Public Library: Public Library: all resources evaluated by all resources evaluated by professional librarians as being the best and most professional librarians as being the best and most authoritativeauthoritative

There are many other useful There are many other useful Search Engines for you to try out:Search Engines for you to try out: Infomine: http://infomine.ucr.eduInfomine: http://infomine.ucr.edu WWW Virtual Library: www.vlib.orgWWW Virtual Library: www.vlib.org Best of the Web from the New York Public Best of the Web from the New York Public

Library Staff: Library Staff: http://www.nypl.org/collections/nypl-http://www.nypl.org/collections/nypl-recommendations/best-of-webrecommendations/best-of-web

Library of Congress: Virtual Reference Library of Congress: Virtual Reference Shelf: Shelf: http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.htmlhttp://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.html

Annotated List of Reference Websites from Annotated List of Reference Websites from the Library of Congress: the Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/alcove9/http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/alcove9/

Voice of the Shuttle: http://vos.ucsb.eduVoice of the Shuttle: http://vos.ucsb.edu

The EndThe EndThank You for YourThank You for Your

Attention!Attention!PERRYLS@STATE.GOVSTEPHEN PERRY+233 030 274 1172IRO ACCRA GHANA