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Evaluating Web Resources

Abstract

This workshop will address the basic skills needed by our students and patrons to become informed "consumers" of information on the web by examining five principles used in evaluating web sites:

1. Authority, i.e., who are the authors and what are their credentials?
2. Accuracy, i.e., can the information be verified?
3. Objectivity, i.e., are there biases stated, is there advertising?
4. Currency, i.e., when was this information first published, last revised?
5. Coverage, i.e., is there a clear point of view that addresses the topic entirely?

Each of these principles will be examined at length via a PowerPoint presentation.

Various web sites will be shown for the attendees to evaluate using these principles.

Handouts with an extensive bibliography and web links will be available.

Description

Any educator or librarian can attest that students today immediately go to the web to do their research. In fact, they insist they no longer need to go to a library to use traditional library paper resources. And those that do use the newer electronic forms of those traditional resources often limit themselves only to those that give "full text" citations so that they can read them at home. One problem with this approach to research is that it eliminates not only many good sources of information, but often overlooks the best academic sources of information. Furthermore, in this age where students vehemently support the right of everyone to voice an opinion, equal weight is often given to any opinion found on the web. We have all heard it said, "One person's opinion is as good as another's." Such an attitude belies a false egalitarianism, and demonstrates a basic lack of evaluation skills.

It is our responsibility as educators and librarians to impart to our students and patrons the basic skills needed to be informed "consumers" of information found on the web. Since 1989, the ALA has promoted Information Literacy as a means to this end. In 1998, the American Association of School Libraries and the Association of Educational Communications and Technology published "Information Standards for Student Learning" which detail these competencies. Standard 2 states: "the student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently."

This workshop will examine five principles used in evaluating web sites:

1. Authority, i.e., who are the authors and what are their credentials?
2. Accuracy, i.e., can the information be verified?
3. Objectivity, i.e., are there biases stated, is there advertising?
4. Currency, i.e., when was this information first published, last revised?
5. Coverage, i.e., is there a clear point of view that addresses the topic entirely?

Each of these principles will be examined at length via a PowerPoint presentation. Various web sites will be shown for the attendees to evaluate using these principles. Handouts with an extensive bibliography and web links will be available.