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Accuracy |
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Authority |
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Objectivity |
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Currency |
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Coverage |
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Is the information reliable and error-free? |
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Is there an editor or someone who
verifies/checks the information? |
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Can you contact him or her? |
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What is the purpose of the document and why was
it produced? |
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Rationale:
http://www.ihr.org |
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Anyone can publish anything on the Web. |
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Unlike traditional print resources, web
resources rarely have editors or fact-checkers. |
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Currently, no web standards exist to ensure
accuracy. |
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Know the distinction between author and
webmaster. |
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Is there an author? Is the page signed? |
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Is the author qualified? An expert? |
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Who is the sponsor? |
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Is the sponsor of the page reputable? |
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Is there a link to information about the
author/sponsor? |
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Can you determine the domain origin of the page? |
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Rationale:
http://oncolink.upenn.edu |
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It’s often hard to determine a web page’s
authorship. |
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Even if a page is signed, qualifications aren’t
generally given. |
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Look for a header or footer showing affiliation. |
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Look at the domain. (.edu, .com, .ac.uk, .org.,
net) |
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Does the information show a minimum of bias? |
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Is the information factual or opinion? |
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View any Web page as you would an infomercial on
television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom? |
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Rationale:
http://www.beefnutrition.org |
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Frequently the goals of the sponsors aren’t
clearly stated. |
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Often the Web serves as a virtual “soapbox”. |
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Be wary of advertising masked as information. |
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Is the page dated? |
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Is so, when was the last update? |
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How current are the links? Have some expired or moved? |
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Rationale:
http://usatoday.com |
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Publication or revision dates not always
provided. |
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If a date is provided, it may have various
meanings. For example: |
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It may indicate when the material was first
written. |
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It may indicate a last revision or when it was
first placed on the web. |
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What topics are covered? |
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What does this page offer that is not found
elsewhere? |
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How in-depth is the material? |
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Is it all images, or a balance of text and
images? |
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Is the information presented cited correctly? |
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Rationale: http://www.usatoday.com/leadpage/about.htm |
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Web coverage often differs from print coverage. |
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Sometimes web information is just-for-fun or
outright silliness |
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Is it free, or is there a fee, to obtain the
information? |
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Is the information easy to get to? How many links does it take to get to
something useful? |
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Is the target audience or intended users clearly
indicated? |
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Does the site have its own search engine? |
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http://www.whitehouse.net |
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These tools work for both print and electronic
sources |
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Booklist
http://www.ala.org/booklist/ |
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Choice http://www.ala.org/acrl/choice/ |
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American Libraries http://www.ala.org/alonline/ |
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C&RL News |
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http://www.bowdoin.edu/~samato/IRA/ |
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Format |
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Scope |
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Relation to similar works |
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Authority |
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Treatment |
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Arrangement |
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Features and Cost |
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Currency and Coverage |
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Access Points |
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User Aids |
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Interface Design |
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Indexing |
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Vendor support |
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Cost |
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