| World Wide Web |
Anyone with basic skills can
find "stuff" on the World Wide Web, but only a skilled researcher can evaluate
what they find to identify exactly what they need. Remember the World Wide Web is
the Internet with graphics. |
| Knowledge Base |
You have established a
knowledge base about your topic by successfully using reference sources, the catalog,
magazines/journals, and newspapers. Now you are ready to extend your search to individual
Internet sites and further develop your information retrieval and evaluation skills |
| Web Content |
Before we jump to the vanity
press called Internet, consider what types of information we might expect to find
there. Information that exists online includes:
- pictures - art, diagrams, maps, costume, architecture
- frequently asked questions (FAQ)
- government information - laws, statistics, historical documents,
& public information
- interactive files - frog dissection, virtual patients, route mapping
sites
- personal interest pages
Information that does not routinely exist online includes:
- reference works, index and abstract services (except for user groups
associated with educational institutions, public libraries, or other unique
populations)
- books under copyright
- most scholarly journals
- content of Adobe PDF & format files
- sites requiring a log-in
- CGI output - data requested by form
- Intranets - pages not linked from anywhere
|
| Finding Web Sites |
Four ways to hop on the
information highway:
- Guess the URL (address) - life is too short and the Internet is too
big for this one
- Specific URL - one that you read or heard about,
carefully enter the complete URL in the Location box at the top
of the screen
- Gateway or Portal site - doorways to excellence
- Search engine or search directory - user-created searches
|
| Web Site Evaluation
Checklist |
Six basic elements make up
the Web Site Evaluation Checklist:
- Authority - Can you determine who is responsible for the site? Is
there an e-mail contact link?
- Purpose - Is the purpose of the site stated? For what audience is the
site intended?
- Content - Is the information unique or a simply a
collection of links? Is the information fact or opinion, how can
you tell? Has the site received any awards for content?
- Bias/Objectivity - Use the URL to determine sponsorship (.gov -
government, .edu -educational institution, .com-commercial, .mil-military, and
.org-organization
- Currency - Look for date of last revision.
- Organization/Ease of Use - Was it easy for you to find information on
the site? Do all the links work? Do the pages load quickly?
Additional web evaluation information may be found
at the following site:
How
to Evaluate Information on the Web
|
