Internet & Evaluation Frederic Murray Assistant Professor MLIS, University of British Columbia BA, Political Science, University of Iowa Instructional Services Librarian Al Harris Library

The Internet is… a worldwide collection of computer networks ubiquitous

Web Searching is easy because….. Speed Choice Availability 24/7 Always get an answer

Web searching is difficult because … Organization Quality control Reliability

Anatomy of a URL

Web Evaluation Techniques Domain name appropriate for the content ? Restricted: edu, gov, mil, a few country codes (ca) Unrestricted: com, org, net, most country codes (us, uk)

Domain Names Which one is right? – – – – Whois.net – Indicates a reliable domain name

Web Evaluation Techniques Published by an entity that makes sense ? News from its source? Advice from valid agency?

Remember to Evaluate!!! Authority –Who created it? Who is responsible? –What credentials do they hold? What makes them qualified to discuss the topic? Accuracy –Can the information be verified? –Check the facts! Objectivity –How is the information being presented? –Is it objective or biased? What’s the point of view? Currency (important based on subject) –When was it published? –When was it last updated?

Step 1: Authority Web Pages – Credentials/Qualifications/Reputation – Who is responsible for content? Is it a commercial site? Is it a government site? Is it an education site?

Step 1: Authority: Questions 1. Who is responsible for the content? Domain name? What does this indicate? 2.If you don't recognize the name, or there is no name, what type of information is given about the contact information? - Position? - Organizational affiliation? - address? - Biographical information?

Step 2: AccuracyAccuracy Web Pages –Can the information be verified? Links to credible sites Copyright Works Cited Fact check with a printed source

Step 2: AccuracyAccuracy 1.Does the website cite sources used to present its information? What type of sources are they? Scholarly? Popular? 2. Is it possible to verify the legitimacy of these sources? 3.If the site is research-based, does the website clearly identify the method of research and the data gathered?

Step 3: Objectivity Biased or Objective? Sponsoring Organization Agendas Political Propaganda Web hosting Do you trust the author or organization providing the information?

Step 3: Objectivity Do you trust the author or organization providing the information? Determine what is the aim of the author or organization publishing the site. What is the purpose of the web site? 1. Is it advertisement for a product or service? 2. Is it for political purposes? 3. Is it trying to sway public opinion on a social issue?

Step 4: CurrencyCurrency Web Pages –When was it created and last updated? Well maintained web sites have an indication when it was last updated or modified Accessibility –Dead links Stability –Changes URLs frequently

Step 4: CurrencyCurrency 1. Is a date clearly displayed? 2. Can you determine what the date refers to? When the page was first written? When the page was first posted on the Internet? When the page was last revised or updated? The copyright date? 3. Are the resources used by the author current? 4. Does the page content demand routine or continual updating or revision? 5. Do the links on the page point to the correct Internet site addresses?

Remember to Evaluate!!! Authority –Who created it? Who is responsible? –What credentials do they hold? What makes them qualified to discuss the topic? Accuracy –Can the information be verified? –Check the facts! Objectivity –How is the information being presented? –Is it objective or biased? What’s the point of view? Currency (important based on subject) –When was it published? –When was it last updated?

Web Evaluation Tools Alexa Search the URL in Alexa -- Click on “Site info for …” Who links to the site? Who owns the domain? What did the site look like in the past? (use the “Wayback Machine” link)“Wayback Machine” Google Blog Search Which blogs link to it? What do they say?

Exercise: Evaluation Handoutt Institute for Historical Review – Pinehearst Inc. – Southern Poverty Law Center – Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu – Harry Ransom Center – American University for the Humanities –

Google Larry Page & Sergey Brin/ Grad Students 1998 Mission: "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.“ 2007: 23 Billion dollar corporation

GoogleGoogle: Improve Your Searches Site Specific Command What it does: searches only specific domains What to type: children's health site:edu children's health site:gov

Web vs. Library Databases Web –Good for current events –Statistical Information –Pop Culture –Opinion –Information about Organizations & Groups –Need to Evaluate! Library Databases –Research Based Books & Articles –Full-text Resources –Authoritative & Peer- reviewed Materials –Information about People & Cultures –Easier to Search AND, OR, NOT Specific Subjects

Google Scholar Google Scholar provides a simple way to search for scholarly literature. Search across many disciplines and sources: peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, abstracts and articles, from academic publishers, professional societies, preprint repositories, universities and other scholarly organizations.

Google Scholar Works best for Citations Restrictions to Content –Fee-based –Often your Library already owns material –We’re working on improving access –Example: Tribal Colleges

Wikipedia Wiki: A Web application that allows users to add content to a collaborative hypertext Web resource (coauthoring), as in an Internet forum, and permits others to edit that content (open editing).

Wikipedia Jimmy Wales January 15, 2001 No Original Research NPOV (Neutral point of view) No owners, multiple anonymous authors Anyone with Internet access can create or edit an entry…Anyone

Wikipedia Contributors: male, English speaking, denizens of the Internet. Problem is not that it disregards the facts, but that it elevates them above all else. Most of the content is discussion/history of edits & not the entries themselves. Rosenzweig, Roy. “Can History Be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past.” The Journal of American History 93.1 (2006):

Wikipedia Participation maps popular, not academic concerns It is a working community…but is it a good historical resource? Lack of Critical Analysis Problematic as a sole source of information Like all encyclopedias…ok to start, terrible place to stop. Benefits are to its active participants, not its readers.

Writing Your Paper Writing Center –Located in the basement of the library –Call for appointment # MLA Style –Style Sheets –MLA Handbook at Reference & Circulation Desk –

Questions? Contact me: Frederic Murray

Thanks!