Assess the Validity of Online Information
How to assess the validity of online information
Executive summary
Starting with an answer on question “Why to evaluate?” this document explains techniques and methods of evaluation of online information through two similar approaches. It does not compare and it does not suggest better way of evaluation either.
However, it raises the importance of evaluation but it is up to the reader himself/herself what will do with information covered here.
Introduction
The World Wide Web provides information from all around the world. There is extremely wide variety of material, different in its reliability, accuracy and value. No one has to approve the content before publishing like in more traditional form (books or magazines) and everyone can publish. Internet by its nature was designed to provide unrestricted information. There are no rules or standards as far as quality of information which writer can put on the internet are concerned. This information can be found in a large variety of kinds and was created for different purposes. Each of these different kinds and purposes has various levels of quality, credibility and reliability.
Purpose of this report is to discuss how to assess validity of online information and most appropriate methods of evaluation.
Discussion
1. Why to evaluate online information
The nature of the web itself and the fact that anyone can publish or even change content of some websites means that excellent resources reside along the most dubious and these are the reasons why there is a need for evaluation.
The main reasons why to evaluate can be categorized as follows:
Lack of guidelines
- there are no rules and standards setting the quality of the information
Lack of monitoring
- web sites are not subject of any critical evaluation, reviewing mechanism or any type of monitoring before they become part of the World Wide Web
Executive summary
Starting with an answer on question “Why to evaluate?” this document explains techniques and methods of evaluation of online information through two similar approaches. It does not compare and it does not suggest better way of evaluation either.
However, it raises the importance of evaluation but it is up to the reader himself/herself what will do with information covered here.
Introduction
The World Wide Web provides information from all around the world. There is extremely wide variety of material, different in its reliability, accuracy and value. No one has to approve the content before publishing like in more traditional form (books or magazines) and everyone can publish. Internet by its nature was designed to provide unrestricted information. There are no rules or standards as far as quality of information which writer can put on the internet are concerned. This information can be found in a large variety of kinds and was created for different purposes. Each of these different kinds and purposes has various levels of quality, credibility and reliability.
Purpose of this report is to discuss how to assess validity of online information and most appropriate methods of evaluation.
Discussion
1. Why to evaluate online information
The nature of the web itself and the fact that anyone can publish or even change content of some websites means that excellent resources reside along the most dubious and these are the reasons why there is a need for evaluation.
The main reasons why to evaluate can be categorized as follows:
Lack of guidelines
- there are no rules and standards setting the quality of the information
Lack of monitoring
- web sites are not subject of any critical evaluation, reviewing mechanism or any type of monitoring before they become part of the World Wide Web
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