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Did you know that TWA Flight 800 was accidentally shot down by a U.S. Navy
missile? This was one of many rumors that spread throughout the Internet in
1996. Many respected authorities believed it. Information on the Internet
often has an appearance of credibilty, just because it is on the Internet.
Can you trust what you find on the Internet? Here is a 6 step approach to
Web site evaluation.
1) Don't be fooled by appearance. Just as you wouldn't judge a book
by it's cover, don't judge a web site by it's appearance. A flashy site
might just be a marketing front.
2) Locate guides you trust. Use a subject guide that you know have
a good reputation such as IPL Ready Reference
Collection.
3) Find out who is behind the information. When looking at a web
site, check to see if the author is identified. Is the author an expert in
his or her subject?
Has the author signed the work? Does the author give an e-mail address so
you can communicate directly? Is there a link back to a page with the
author's credentials listed.
4) Look for the reason the information was posted. Web sites may be
created by organizations, businesses, government agencies, educational
institutions, individuals, hobbyists, etc. Internet addresses provide many
clues, even before you go to the site:
Does it contain a tilde (~) ? That indicates an individual's personal web
page. Web sites have their own agenda. Keep that in mind when evaluating
the information.
5) Look for the date the information was created or modified. If a
Web site doesn't provide a "last updated" message or date it's content,
check out some of the links to see if they are still "active."
6) Try to verify the same information elsewhere. This is especially
important if the information is contrary to what the student has already
found or runs counter to common sense. Ideally students should confirm the
information with at least two other sources.
It is important to understand that there is no single authority governing
the Internet. The Internet is full of rumors, gossip, hoaxes, etc. Because
anyone can be a "publisher" on the Net, teachers and students need to
consider the source of any information they obtain.
Activities: Here are 2 sites to challenge your ability to evaluate
information available on the Internet.
Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide!--How critical an observer
are you? Learn how to evaluate information sources by doing an online
exercise.
Information Competence--An interactive web site aimed at developing criteria for evaluating information.
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