Information Quality Checklist

Why is it necessary to evaluate online information?

· Quality of sources vary greatly.

· Rapid growth of technology is outpacing our ability to create standards and guidelines.

· Other types of resources may be more appropriate.

What criteria should one take into consideration when evaluating information online?

1. Accuracy of Web Resources

· Almost anyone can publish on the web.

· Many resources not verified by editors or "fact checkers"

· Information in linked web pages is not necessarily as reliable as the information on the original web page.

· Web Standards to ensure accuracy are not fully developed.

2. Authority of Web Resources

· Not always possible to determine authorship.

· Even when author’s name is given, his/her qualifications may not be provided.

3. Objectivity of Web Resources

· Goals/aims of persons/groups presenting the information not stated clearly.

· Web sometimes functions as a "virtual soapbox"; viewpoints often clearly biased.

· Many web pages are marketing-oriented: distinction between information and advertising can become blurred.

4. Currency of Web Resources

· Dates are not always included on web pages.

· When included, dates may have various meanings:

- Date information was first written

- Date information was first placed on the web

- Date information was last revised

5. Coverage

· Often difficult to determine depth and/or extent of coverage.

· Search engines sometimes retrieve web pages out of context.

6. Purpose

· It is not always possible to determine the purpose and/or the intended audience for specific web pages. This becomes confusing, especially when there is a blend of Information, Entertainment and Advertising.

7. Use of Hypertext Links

· Quality of web pages linked to an original web page may vary. Each web page should therefore be evaluated independently.

8. Software Requirements

· Additional software may be required to view certain web pages.

· Browsers may alter the appearance of web pages.

9. Instability of web pages

· Web pages may be moved or disappear without notice.

• Web pages can be changed deliberately or accidentally. Information should therefore always be verified.

Evaluating Internet Resources: Additional Useful Guidelines

• Spider's Apprentice: How To Use Web Search Engines

Thinking critically about World Wide Web Resources:

Questions to reflect upon....

Information Quality Checklist

These questions are based on traditional selection and evaluation criteria used by librarians to determine the quality of reference resources. To score, allow 1 point for each "yes" and 0 points for each "no" answer. There are 28 possible points.

1. SCOPE AND CONTENT

a) Is the purpose of the site to provide information?

b) Is the information accurate and comprehensive?

c) Does the web site offer something that is not easily available in other sources?

d) Is the information primary (as opposed to secondary) in nature?

e) Do the pages include links to support the ideas?

f) Are the links relevant and appropriate for the site?

g) Is the web site outward-directed in its linking (as opposed to inward-focused - misinformation is often self-referencing)?

h) Have people you respect (friends, teachers, etc..) recommended the site?

2. AUDIENCE / INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

a) Is the level of the site suited to the specific audience?

b) Is the material age-appropriate?

3. AUTHOR

a) Is the author a recognized expert in the area?

b) Is the page linked to another high quality page you are familiar with?

c) Does the web site provide author information, including institutional affiliation, position and address.

d) Is an e-mail address included to contact the author?

4. AUTHORITY / PUBLISHING BODY

NOTE: As commercial activity increases on the web, marketing increases too. Many "information" sites are in fact thinly disguised (if hidden at all) public relations efforts created by corporations. Look carefully at the URL of the site to determine possible commercial interest. Suffixes can indicate the origin of a web site, e.g. ".com" indicates a commercial site, ".edu" a site created at and maintained by an educational institution, etc.

a) Is there an official organization that has taken credit for the site?

b) Is the web site free of inherent bias, e.g. affiliation to a religious or political group.

5. CURRENCY

a) Can you tell when the site was created?

b) Has it been updated since its creation?

c) Are the links provided on the web site reliable and/or up to date?

6. STYLE

a) Are the sources documented in a scholarly bibliography and/or connected by hyper links?

b) If the document is a research page, is there an explanation of the data, the methods used to gather the data and interpretation of the data?

c) Are editorial comments presented as such?

d) Are opposing viewpoints acknowledged respectfully?

e) Does the text follow basic rules of grammar, spelling and literary composition?

7. APPEARANCE AND EASE OF USE

a) Is the web site user-friendly (easy to navigate and find specific information)?

b) Is the information presented clearly and logically?

c) Does the web site follow good graphic design principles? (Legible font, functional layout, etc.)

d) Do graphics and/or hypermedia add to (as opposed to detract from) the quality of the site?