Internet Research

Evaluating Information

People are seeking information

• Statistics show steady increases each year in the number of people using the Internet to seek information.

• They seek information on hugely important subjects, from health to voting to investing their money.

People are making decisions

• People then are using that information to make decisions.

• They are making decisions about vacations, health, work, travel, voting and other subjects -- all based on what they find on the Internet.

Evaluation is crucial

• So people are finding information from the Internet and making important decisions.

• But what if the information is wrong?

• Evaluation is crucial.

Dangers include:

• Outdated information• Inaccuracies and errors• Hate sites and malicious

“misinformation”• Disguised marketing at

product sites• Biased opinions portrayed

as fact

A Google search for:

• Cancer will get you some drug and pharmacy sites

• Nutrition will get you some food and industry sites

• Martin Luther King will get you some racist sites

• Investing will get you some stock broker sites

Criteria for Evaluation: SCOPE

• Five criteria can help you evaluate information on the Internet

• Signatory: who is the publisher?

• Currency: is the site updated and timely?

• Objective: is the site opinionated, biased?

• Purpose: what is the site’s purpose?

• Evidence: is the site accurate, verified?

Signatory

• Is the author or publisher clearly named on the site?

• What are the author’s qualifications for writing or posting the site?

• Does the author provide biographical experience?

• Is the author an authority?

Currency

• Is the information timely?

• Does the content of the work seem up-to-date?

• Is the publication date clearly indicated?

Objective

• How objective is the information?

• Is the information presented with bias or a strong point of view?

• To what extent is the information trying to sway the opinion of the audience?

Purpose

• What type of page is it?• What is the purpose of

the site? • What are the goals or

aims? • To inform? To convince

you? To sell you a product?

• Types of Page• Advocacy • Business/Marketing • Informational • News • Personal • Entertainment

Evidence

• How accurate does the information appear the site?

• Is their evidence presented?

• Does the information or coverage seem complete?

• Are there references?

Caveat Emptor

• “Let the buyer beware”• Information is readily

available on the Internet.• It is up to the buyer – or

user – to check that information.

• Use the SCOPE criteria to evaluate information on the Internet