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"Cyberspace,
in its present condition, has a lot in common
with the 19th century West. It is vast, unmapped,
culturally and legally ambiguous, verbally terse
(unless you happen to be a court stenographer),
hard to get around in, and up for grabs. Large
institutions already claim to own the place, but
most of the actual natives are solitary and independent,
sometimes to the point of sociopathy. It is, of
course, a perfect breeding ground for both outlaws
and new ideas about liberty." John Perry
Barlow, Crime and Puzzlement (8 June 1990).
Information literacy and critical evaluation of
sources of information is extremely critical when
dealing with sources from the Internet. There
is a predisposition to assume that information
in electronic format has a special claim to accuracy.
This predisposition is risky!
The following are suggestions for evaluating a
Web site for inclusion as a source of accurate
information:
· Do not
use the World Wide Web for research because it
is fun and easy. The Web has become a commercial
playground and a place where anarchy rules. However,
used carefully, there is very valuable information
available.
· When in doubt of the information,
critically evaluate it. Anyone can author a Web
site. The Web is a global collection and
accuracy is not always easy to detect.
· Check for obvious things, such
as proper grammar and correct spelling. Note the
depth of the material. What kinds of links to
other Web sites are provided?
· Consider the source of the information.
Use the following guidelines to judge the content
of the Web site:
1. Who is the author?
2. Is the scholarship of the author
or the information established?
3. Has the author indicated the research
methods or provided any supportive evidence for
the information?
4. Has the author provided a means
to contact him/her?
5. What is the domain designation
of the Web site?
| .com
= commercial |
.edu
= educational institution |
| .org
= organization |
.net
= network |
| .gov
= government |
.mil
= military |
6. What is
the purpose of the Web site or the motive behind
the site's creation?
7. When was the information created
or last updated?
Two Web sites that offer
Web evaluation information are:
http://thorplus.lib.purdue.edu/~techman/eval.html
http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-
Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm
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