Download EvalWebF2F

Web Evaluation
Library 10 –Information Competency
Educational domains
The parent page
Educational domains (continued)
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia
Wikipedia example 1
Wikipedia example 2
martinlutherking.org
A real life example
“To identify the external link, our Webmaster searched Google and
chose one of the top results, a Website that, at a quick glance,
appears to be a tribute to Dr. King with speeches, photos and a
special emphasis on the holiday.”
-Hans Reimer, Rock the Vote Blog, Jan. 2007
British Stick Insect
Google “link” feature
Who is the registered owner?
whois
Evaluation example 1
Evaluation example 2
Evaluation example 3
Evaluation example 4
Evaluation example 5
Evaluation analysis
Authority
Accuracy
Content
Objectivity
Currency
Library 10 Evaluation example
Actual student response (used with permission):
From the first look at this page I can tell that most likely I wouldn't use it. It
is completely unreadable, most of the space is covered by advertisement.
The page is of a really bad quality. Judging by the amount of ads and
banners on the Web page I can tell that the author is only looking for profit.
The link to the author’s information leads to another page, where I can see
the achievements and education of the author, but the name is not stated.
The author calls himself an expert and doesn’t even want to identify
himself. This Web page has no authority.
This Web page is completely disorganized. From the first line it is not even
clear what the information is about.
I would never use such a Web page as a source of information for my
speech.
Another example
Evaluation response
This Web article would be a good resource for an academic paper because of
the following reasons:
--Authority: I found the article on the Website of the National Defense
University in Washington, DC. I have never heard of this school so I Googled it
and it is an accredited graduate level university. I also Googled the publication
information for the article and discovered that it is an article in JFQ (Joint
Force Quarterly), which is an official, professional publication from the National
Defense University Press. The author is a USAF Colonel, and I Googled his
name to discover that he currently works at the Pentagon for the Defense
Department, so he would seem to have strong military expertise.
--Accuracy: A reference list is provided at the end of the article, which means
that the information can be verified.
--Content: I skimmed the article and it is indeed about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” policy. It provides a comprehensive discussion of the topic and includes
statistics.
--Currency: This was published in late 2009, so it is very current. This is
important for this topic, because the Obama administration has recently been
discussing a possible repeal of the policy.
Beware of “content farms”
• A content farm, also called a content mill, is a
Website whose content is chosen specifically for its
ability to rank highly in search engine results.
• The primary purpose of content farms is to generate
advertising revenue by attracting “page views.”
Buzzle
About Buzzle
List of content farms
Web 2.0 and misinformation
Confirm the authority of any information you intend to use.
Snopes.com & TruthOrFiction.com
“Rumor has it.”
“The definitive Internet
reference source for urban
legends, folklore, myths,
rumors, and misinformation.”
“Get the truth about rumors,
inspirational stories,
virus warnings, hoaxes,
scams, humorous tales,
pleas for help, urban legends,
prayer requests, calls to action,
and other forwarded mail.”
FactCheck.org
“The people peddling misinformation can be exposed more easily, if you
know where to look.…But if people aren’t looking to get at the truth, they
can be easily misled.”
-Eugene Kiely, Director of FactCheck.org
As quoted in: Hill, Angela. “A Know-it-all World.” San Jose Mercury News 11 Nov. 2013: A16-17. Print.
The end
The End