Consider the Source 2: The WorldWide Web

by David J. Rosen

Updated 5/13/00

Questions to consider as you search for written information from the WorldWide Web and weigh the value of what you have found.

1. Searching for information

A. To answer your question(s) do you need general or specific  information?
  If you need general information a search engine like Yahoo, with categories, might be a good place to start. If you need specific information, you may need to do use a search engine such as AltaVista, Lycos, or InfoSeek, or a multiple-search engine such as Dogpile. You may need to narrow your search by including phrases between quotation marks. This tells the search engine to look for the exact words in the exact order contained within the quotation marks.  Or you may need to add a plus (+) in front of essential words or phrases. Doing this will eliminate any page which does not have this exact word or this phrase in quotes.
  B. What kind of question are you trying to answer?
  1) Is it concrete and factual? Can it be answered by a fact, or set of facts, or specific evidence?

2) Is it abstract, theoretical or spiritual?

3) Is it a question whose answers may vary depending on the writer's point of view or interpretation?

4) Is the question answerable? Not all questions are.

 2. Evaluating Your Findings A. What kind(s) of information source(s) have you found?
  1) An individual whose response is based primarily on personal experience? Is this Experience valid? Is it generalizable to others? How do you know?

2) An expert? How do you know this is an expert?

3) An article or other writing in a publication?
 

* A Popular magazine?

* A newspaper? What is the newspaper's reputation?

* A governmental publication?

* A scholarly publication?

 the reputation of the publication?
 

 4) A message posted to a discussion group, forum, or other Internet group. If so, what do you know about the expertise and reputation of the person who posted the message?
  B. How current is the information?

C. Does the information source have a political or cultural bias or point of view? How objective is the source?

D. What is the reputation of the Web site sponsor?

E. What are the writer's/author's qualifications? Education? Experience? Does the person hold a position that might give you confidence in what s/he says?

F. Was the written material reviewed for publication? If so, by whom or what organization?

G. Who is the publication or program's intended audience? The general public? A well educated audience? A special audience with assumed background knowledge of some sort?

H. Is the information source objective and impartial? Is it intended to persuade the readers or to inform them?

I. Does the writer cite sources? Is there documentation such as footnotes, credits, or cited quotations?  Are these citations of sources sufficient?

J. Is the writing based on original research such as a survey or experiment? Or is it a collection of information from other sources? What do you know about those sources?

K. Are conclusions presented? Are they justified?

[1] Based in part on a pamphlet entitled "EVALUATING INFORMATION: A BASIC CHECKLIST" developed by Hannelore Rader, Billie Reinhart and Gary Thompson, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Ohio, for the Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association. 1990. Available from ALA Graphics, American Library Association, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL. 60611

Updated 5/13/00 by David J. Rosen <DJRosen@world.std.com>