IS112 Internet Research Skills 2003

Evaluating Internet Research Internet has quickly become primary medium for distributing technical information Volumes of information available Searcher must take on role of editor/filter

Diversity of information Information is a commodity available in many flavors Varies greatly in accuracy, reliability and value Information exists on a continuum of reliability and quality Is created for many purposes – to inform, to persuade, to sell, to present a viewpoint, to create or change an attitude or belief

Screening information Clarify purpose of your research Get new ideas, find support for specific position, survey information? Select reliable sources /Resources/ResourcesTopFrames.htm /Resources/ResourcesTopFrames.htm

What to look for in a source Reliable research sites are more likely to have the following information: Author’s name, title or position Author’s organizational affiliation Date of page creation or version Author’s contact information

Evaluating information IS professionals are paid to make decisions Basing a decision on unreliable information invariably leads to problems Source evaluation (determining reliability of information) is something of an art Not based a single litmus test, instead requires inference from a collection of clues or indicators

CARS Checklist Credibility Trustworthy source, author’s credentials, evidence of quality control Accuracy Up to date, factual, detailed Reasonableness Fair, balanced, objective, reasoned Support Listed sources, contact information, documentation

Step 1: Research Professional societies Technology related web sites Vendor & manufacturer sites Commercial search engines Research website Research

Bias in Information Sources Unbiased information is hard to come by Fee based research Sources of bias can be subtle How do search engines rank hits (matches)?

Step 2: Analysis Uncovering and factoring out bias Look at multiple sources for information on a topic Find conflicts or discrepancies in information Factor out bias in each source

Step 3: Presentation of conclusions Use presentation software (PowerPoint) Provide definitions for jargon and acronyms (abbreviations) Summarize business requirements Summarize possible solutions Recommend best option and justify your selection

Example of IS hardware task Research and recommend a laptop model and configuration for business executive within a budget of $2000 How would you complete this task?

IS software task You are hired as a consultant for a small company President wants your recommendation on moving to Linux How do you decide?

First assignment Go to Blackboard site or Start with respected sources (see Blackboard site) Apply the CARS checklist to your selected sites