10 Ways to Determine the Credibility of Information on the Internet
Essay by review • February 23, 2011 • Essay • 323 Words (2 Pages) • 1,708 Views
Essay Preview: 10 Ways to Determine the Credibility of Information on the Internet
10 Ways to Determine the Credibility of Information on the Internet
By
John Smathers
1.Use the “URL to determine the source of the information” and ask if it is from an “academic or a commercial source” (Burbules, 2001).
2.The author or source of the information should show some evidence of being knowledgeable, reliable, and truthful (Harris, 2006). If there is obvious anonymity the work may be suspect (Greg R. Johnson, public presentation, May 27, 2006)
3.If the work shows a lack of quality вЂ" bad grammar or misspelled words (Greg R. Johnson, public presentation, May 27, 2006) вЂ" or if it is not designed well and does not look well-maintained (Burbules, 2001), it may be suspect.
4.Look for summary meta-information (abstracts, content summaries, contents, etc.), evaluative meta-information (recommendations, ratings, reviews, and commentaries), or negative meta-information (Harris, 2006).
5.Determine whether the information is up-to-date. Therefore, “be careful to note when the information (I) find was created, and then decide whether it is still of value, and how much value” (Harris, 2006). Also, I should look for a “last updated” date (Burbules, 2001).
6.Be aware of biases and attempt to determine the intended audience or purpose of the article that is under consideration. I need to be award of false objectivity (Harris, 2006).
7.Ensure that the argument is fair, in that it offers “a balanced, reasoned argument, not selected or slanted,” and that it treats opposing views fairly (Harris, 2006).
8.Look for consistency in the argument or information and be wary of contradictions that suggest falsehoods in the argument (Harris, 2006).
9.Look for citations, especially in instances where there is statistical data (Harris, 2006).
10.Maintain an attitude of skepticism for information on the internet (Greg R. Johnson, public presentation, May 27, 2006).
11.
Burbules, N. C. (2001, Winter). Paradoxes of the Web: The ethical dimensions of credibility. Library Trends,
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