|
It's important to learn how to evaluate the information
you find on the Internet, because it has no regulating
authority to make sure that the information presented
is accurate. Anyone can post anything on the Internet,
whether it is true or not. Here are some criteria
to help you decide whether the information you find
online is reliable:
- Who is providing the Web site's information? Government,
educational and institutional providers can often
be identified by their Web addresses. Government agencies
usually have the letters ".gov" in their addresses,
as in www.irs.gov for the Internal Revenue Service. Colleges and universities
usually have the letters ".edu" in their Web addresses,
like this one for Harvard: www.harvard.edu. Institutions
will often have the letters ".org" in their addresses,
as in www.aarp.org for the American Association for
Retired Persons. The letters ".com" in a Web site's
address stand for "commercial."
- If it is a commercial Web site for a business, check
to see whether the company itself put up the site,
or if it's an individual's Web page about
a company or its products. Most organizations will
list addresses and phone numbers for their headquarters
and key company representatives.
- How current is the information? Often Web sites will provide the date the information was posted.
- Is the purpose and target audience for the information
easily identified?
- Are there links to other reputable sites?
- Do all the features and links work?
- Many sites have received awards or recommendations
from reputable sources. For instance, the county's Web site received the
Center for Digital Government’s “2007 Best of the Web” award.
The library's area includes a large number
of links to other sites
which have been reviewed and are recommended by our
staff librarians.
- Associations for specific industries will often
link to member organization's Web sites. For example,
the American Bookseller's Association's site
links to Web sites of bookstores, and the U.S.
Department of Education has links to sites of
different schools.
A good Web site will be constructed so that you can
find the information you need quickly and easily.
- Do the pages load quickly?
- Is the navigation through the site understandable
and easy to follow?
- Are the pages designed with the most important information
at the top, so that minimal scrolling is needed?
:
- It encourages you to explore.
- It stimulates your thinking.
- The information is presented in an appealing way.
- The site is worth more than one visit.
The Internet is home to a vast number of Web sites.
The number grows continually, and those in place
change from visit to visit. While not every Web site
will have all of the characteristics we've listed,
a good one will have at least some. If you have questions
about information you've found on the Web, or want
additional Web site recommendations, ask us.
|
