Fuzzy Borders: Where do web sites begin and end?
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The web is a system
that uses the Internet to transport information. It has its own language,
which you must be familiar with before you can determine whether or
not to use a web site. Do
you know these terms?
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Web pages: the individual files that make up the web. Currently,
there are billions of web pages on every imaginable topi
For
example: The web page that you are reading, Evaluating
Web Sites, is a web page.
- Web site:
a collection of web pages on a particular subject that includes a
main page called a home page.
For example: The web page Evaluating Web Sites resides
on the Gee Library web site. The home page for the Gee Library is
located at <http://www7.tamu-commerce.edu/library/>.
URL: a specific location on the web. All web pages are assigned
a URL. Generally, the web pages that make up a particular web site
will have a similar URL.
For example: The URL for the page Evaluating Web Sites
is <http://www7.tamu-commerce.edu/library/evalue.htm>.
The URL for the Gee Library home page is <http://www7.tamu-commerce.edu/library/>.
Although these pages have different URLs, they are both part of
the same site. How do you know? The beginning of both URLs <http://www7.tamu-commerce.edu>
is the same.
Link: text or an image on a web page that you can click on to
jump to another web page. A web page may contain links to pages on
the same web site -- these are known as internal links. A web page
may also contain links to pages on another web site -- these are known
as external links.
For example: There are hundreds of web pages that make
up the IRS web site, including the web page IRS Forms and Publications
<http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html>.
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Why is evaluation necessary?
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Many
students are comfortable using the web when searching for information.
Web sites include facts, opinions, and images on just about every topic.
The web is also very convenient and can provide you with results very
quickly. However, much of what's available on the web is not appropriate
to use when researching an issue for a class assignment. Why? Much of
the information is inaccurate, biased, out-of-date, or just not thorough
enough. To help you evaluate and select resources from the web, the library
staff at the Gee Library developed some guidelines. Each guideline is
followed by an example.
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Consider this before using information
from a web site...
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Source
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- Who's the creator
(or publisher or author) of the site? You should be able to easily find
this information in one of several places. Does it appear at the bottom
or top of the page? If not, look for a link that reads "About," "Home,"
or "For More Information." If the site doesn't list a creator, it most
likely isn't appropriate to use it as a resource for your research papers.
- For
example: The creators of both the US Census Bureau site <http://www.census.gov/>
and the Little Debbie Snacks site <http://www.littledebbie.com/>
are clearly visible.
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Authority
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- Is the creator
of the page qualified to provide information on this topic? What are
their credentials? Look for a link that reads "About," "Credentials,"
"Resume," or "For More Information." If the authority isn't clear, the
site may not be an appropriate resource for your research paper.
- For
example: Ask Alice is a source for medical information that
was created by the doctors, nurses, and educators at Columbia University.
It has received numerous awards and endorsements. This information is
easily identified on the "About Alice" page <http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/about.html>.
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Currency
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- How current
is the information on the page? Look for information such as "last
update" or another date indicator. This may not be important if you're
looking for historical information. However, if you're researching
a topic that changes frequently, such as a health issue or the stock
market, the currency of the page is vital.
- For example: The CDC's West Nile Virus page
includes important information on disease prevention. Information
at the bottom of the page <http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/>
clearly states how often this page is updated.
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Accuracy
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- Is the information
correct? How do you know? Does the page provide information so that
users can easily verify facts cited and claims made? There's a difference
between verifiable facts and personal beliefs. If information included
on the page can't be verified as accurate, the site may not be an
appropriate resource for your research paper.
- For example: The ABC News web site posts news
and other information of interest to the public. The site recently
published an article <http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/reuters20030311_586.html>
on the issue of FBI survelliance of US libraries. Note that the article
includes the names and affiliations of everyone mentioned, as well
as some direct quotations.
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Bias
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- Does the creator
have a particular bias? If so, how do you know and how does the bias
affect the information on the page? Please be aware that just because
a site has a particular bias doesn't mean that the information is
inaccurate. However, such a site is more likely to provide only one
side of the debate on a particular issue. If you're researching an
issue, you should carefully consider whether a site has a bias and,
if so, whether a biased web site is an appropriate resource. If you
do use such a site, you should verify the accuracy of the information
presented. You may also want to locate information on opposing views.
- For
example: If you were writing a paper on gun control, you
would find lots of information on the web, much of it either "pro"
or "con." An example of a biased web site on this issue
is The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence <http://www.bradycampaign.org>.
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Depth
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- How detailed
is the information on the page? Is it detailed enough to provide you
with what you need? Although a site may address a particular issue,
it may not be comprehensive enough to be used as a resource for your
research papers. The depth of the information provided often depends
on the intended audience.
- For
example: Compare The Official Babe Ruth Site <http://www.baberuth.com/>
with the information about Babe Ruth that's provided by the National
Baseball Hall of Fame <http://baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/ruth_babe.htm>.
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Appearance
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- Is the site easy
to navigate? Is it free of misspellings and grammatical errors? Does
the page load relatively quickly? Are images and colors compatible with
your browser? Are links up-to-date? While the appearance of a site isn't
the most important factor when evaluating the site, a poor design can
be a sign that the content may not be reliable.
- For
example: An example of a well-designed, professional-looking
site that meets all of our evaluation criteria is the University of
Texas at Austin <http://www.utexas.edu/>.
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For More Information...
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Still unsure if a web site might be an appropriate source? Try one of
the following articles, books, or other web sites for more information.
You can also schedule an appointment with a librarian by calling the Reference
Department at the Gee Library at (903) 886-5720.
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Articles
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Fox, Lynne M. "Evaluating
Medical Web Sites," Colorado Libraries. 26:1 (Spring 2000) 33-5.
(Despite its title, this article is useful for evaluating any type web
site.)
Marcovitz, David M. "I Read It on the Computer, It Must Be True: Evaluating
Information from the Web," Learning and Leading with Technology.
25:3 (Nov. 1997) 18-21.
Tweddle, Sally, Peter Avis, and Julie Wright. "Towards Criteria for
Evaluating Web Sites," British Journal of Educational Technology.
29:3 (July 1998) 267-70.
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Books
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Alexander, Janet
E. Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on
the Web. Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999. 19 Oct.
2000 <http://www.netlibrary.com/>.
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Web Sites
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Evaluating
Web Pages - Links to Examples of Various Concepts. Eds. Jan Alexander
and Marsha Tate. 21 July 2000. Wolfgram Memorial Library,Widener University.
27 Oct. 2000. <http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/examples.htm>.
Evaluation Criteria for Websites - Evaluating Web Resources: A
Bibliography. 10 Oct. 2000. Lester Hill Library of the Health
Sciences, The University of Alabama at Birmingham. 18 Oct. 2000. <http://www.uab.edu/lister/evalnet.htm#crit>.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Ed. Susan E. Beck. 15 May
2000. New Mexico State University Library. 18 Oct. 2000. <http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html>.
Information Literacy (Critical Thinking Competencies) - Digital Literacy
Checklist. Ed. Debra Revere. 27 Aug. 1998. Department of Health
Sciences, University of Washington. 27 Oct. 2000. <http://depts.washington.edu/hserv/teaching/diglit/crit-valid.html>.
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