Evaluating Resources on the Web: Looking Critically

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Evaluating Resources on the Web Looking
Critically

• By, Ms. Agatsuma

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Just Because its on the Web

• Does not make information more credible, accurate
  or objective
• The information can be
• Opinion
• Advertising
• Hoaxes
• Lies

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The Web as a Communications Medium

• Information at (almost) no cost
• The Web as the worlds largest soap box
• Who is responsible for the information?
• Anyone can post anything on the web
• Anyone can say they are a PhD, or a doctor or an
  expert
• How do you check it?

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When evaluating sites, ask

• Who or what is the author of the site?
• Individual, government, education, corporation,
  interest group, etc.
• Are they credible experience, profession, etc?
• Is contact information listed?
• What is the purpose of the site? / Why was it
  written?
• Information, advertising, promotion, opinion etc
• Who is the intended audience?
• Age, education, income level

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Review of Site Accuracy

• Can the content be corroborated from other
  sources, including print sources?
• Print sources have more checks and balances and
  peer review.
• What do other websites say about the information
  on the site?

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Site Currency

• Are dates listed?
• Date first created?
• Date last revised/updated for accuracy?
• Does the information in the site need to be more
  current for what you are using it for?

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What does the URL mean?

• .gov
• (government)
• .mil(military)
• .org
• (non-profit organizations)
• .int
• (international org)
• .com(commercial)

• .edu(higher ed.)
• .k12(public/private schools)
• .uk (united kingdom)
• .net
• (Internet Service Provider)
• or /users/ or /personal/
• (personal)

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What do these Names tell us?

• American Smokers Alliance
• www.smokers.org/
• Phillip Morris
• www.phillipmorris.com
• Center for Disease Control National Center for
  Health Statistics
• www.cdc.gov/nchs/releases.htm
• Robs Page About Myths of Smoking
• uts.cc.utexas.edu/rmr/

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Linking

• Links (both within website and to website) give
  hints to credibility and reliability of source
• Indications of Less Reliable Sites
• Broken links
• Links to/from disreputable groups
• Links to/from groups you do not recognize
• Links to reputable groups that do not confirm
  information on original page.

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Determine Other Sites that Link to it

• In www.altavista.com or www.google.com write
  linkwebsite name (no spaces) in search site
• Exercise
• pubweb.acns.nwu.edu/abutz/index.html, is a site
  that claims the Holocaust did not happen.
• What does URL tell you?
• What does the site look like?
• Who links to this site?

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Remember Use

• Common Sense
• CRITICAL THINKING
• It may look cool, but may not have accurate
  contact - dont be fooled by nice graphics and
  layout

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Classwork Evaluating websites

• INSTRUCTIONS use one of the sites below for
  evaluating
• Dihydrogen monoxide http//www.dhmo.org/facts.htm
  l
• Cats and Humans www.improb.com/airchives/classica
  l/cat/cat.html
• Pacific NW Tree Octopus http//zapatopi.net/treeo
  ctopus.html
• Californias Velcro Crop http//home.inreach.com/
  kumbach/velcro.html
• Taxonomy of Barney http//www.improb.com/airchive
  s/paperair/volume1/v1i1/barney.htm
• Clyven the mouse http//www.rythospital.com/clyve
  n/
• Aluminum Foil Detector Beanie http//zapatopi.net
  /afdb.html
• Dedhydrated water http//www.iage.com/section1.ht
  mlevaluate
• Brains for Zombies http//www.brains4zombies.com/
  
• Burmese Mountain Dog http//lme.mankato.msus.edu/
  akcj3/bmd.html
• Ova Prima Organization http//www.ovaprima.org/

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LINKS

• Links for help in evaluating websites
• http//school.discovery.com/schrockguide/eval.html
  
• http//www.iage.com/section1.htmlevaluate
• http//dmoz.org/Reference/Education/Instructional_
  Technology/Evaluation/Web_Site_Evaluation
• Links that are peer reviewed
• www.dpi.state.wi.us/dlcl/imt/ed_res.html
• www.ideas.wisconsin.edu
• www.school.discovery.com/schrockguide
• www.ibiblio.org/cisco/schoolhouse
• http//www.csu.edu.au/education/