Internet Research

1
Internet Research

• Evaluating Information

2
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.

3
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.

4
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.

5
Dangers include

• Outdated information
• Inaccuracies and errors
• Hate sites and malicious misinformation
• Disguised marketing at product sites
• Biased opinions portrayed as fact

6
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

7
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 sites purpose?
• Evidence is the site accurate, verified?

8
Signatory

• Is the author or publisher clearly named on the
  site?
• What are the authors qualifications for writing
  or posting the site?
• Does the author provide biographical experience?
• Is the author an authority?

9
Currency

• Is the information timely?
• Does the content of the work seem up-to-date?
• Is the publication date clearly indicated?

10
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?

11
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

12
Evidence

• How accurate does the information appear the
  site?
• Is their evidence presented?
• Does the information or coverage seem complete?
• Are there references?

13
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