Evaluation of Web Resources

Evaluation of
Web Resources
Contents
 Criteria for Evaluation of Web Resources.
 Purpose
 Authority
 Accuracy
 Objectivity
 Currency/Timeliness
 Reliability
 Coverage
 Quality
 Format and Presentation
 Special Features
 Design
Conceptual
 It is much easier to publish material online than in a book or reputable
journal or magazine.
 Information is available at our fingertips around the clock.
 Not all the information available is valid.
 Each source of information must be reviewed with due care to ensure the
Purpose, Authority, Accuracy, Objectivity, Currency, Reliability, Coverage,
Quality, Format and Presentation and Special Features of the information
one uses.
 It has become more essential to evaluate the information for conducting
quality research.
 Evaluation guide in decision-making process.
Criteria for Evaluation of Web
Resources
1. Purpose
2. Authority
3. Accuracy
4. Objectivity
5. Currency/Timeliness
6. Reliability
7. Coverage
8. Quality
9. Format and Presentation
10. Special Features
11. Design
Evaluation of Web Resources
Criteria for Evaluation of Web Resources
1. Purpose
 The first thing is to find out the purpose of publishing the source.
 To inform
 To sell
 To entertain
2. Authority
 Anyone with a computer and access to the Internet can publish a
website without having any particular qualifications.
 There are no existing standards for publication to the Internet nor is
it regulated or monitored.
 What is the author’s association, occupation, position, education,
experience, etc.
 Is the author qualified to write on the subject.
3. Accuracy
 Is there an editor or someone who verifies/checks the information.
 Reviewed/refereed.
 Is it free from grammatical, spellings or typographical errors.
 Are there links to the documented sources?
 Are the links relevant
 Do the links work or are they “broken”
 Are sources cited? Is information verifiable.
4. Objectivity
 A standard source is the one which reflects clear objectivity
of information, therefore one should check is the information
biased.
 Is the author’s point of view objective and impartial.
 Whether the information provided is a fact, opinion.
 Is the information free of advertising.
5. Currency/Timeliness
 Currency of information usually depends upon the nature of the topic.
 When was the source published/created?
 Dates of publication and timeliness of information can be questionable on
Internet sources.
 Dates are sometimes absent or may have different meanings like date of
creation, placing on web or last revised.
 Is the site updated regularly or last updated? (This is often specified at the
end of the document.)
 The date may tell you whether the page author is still maintaining the page
or has abandoned.
 When was the item last revised? (For Web sites, there are lots of “dead
links”)
6. Reliability
 It is important to check the reliability and credibility of sources.
 Is it authentic.
 One should ascertain why to believe information given on the site.
 Does the information appear to be valid and well researched or it is
unsupported by evidence.
 Is the information unique or has it been copied.
7. Coverage
 Is the source comprehensive enough in its coverage for the indicated
needs of the audience.
 What items are included.
 Does the site contain original information or simply links. If links
are given:
 What kind of sources are linked.
 Are these related to the topic and useful for the purpose of the
site.
 Are these links still current or they have become dead ends.
8. Quality
 Internet sources do not go through the same publication process as
print sources, which includes editors and reviewers.
 Internet sources typically do not refer to sources the author used
to develop their content so the reader is unable to trace reference
materials.
 The URL domain name can provide insights.
 The extension indicates the type of group hosting the site which may
be an indicator of quality:
 Educational (.edu)
 Commercial (.com)
 Nonprofit (.org)
 Government (.gov), etc.
9. Format and Presentation
 Is the information easy to get.
 Does the source contain a table of contents/or an index to facilitate the
use or to find the specific information one needs.
 How many links does it take to provide the needed information.
 Does the site has its own search engine.
 Is the site easily browsable and searchable.
 If graphical images are included, what is the quality of
graphical images.
10. Special Features
 Does the source contain graphs, charts, tables, maps, or any
other special features that adds to the usefulness of the source.
 Does it use header and footer to indicate information about the author
and source.
11. Design
 Do pages take a long time to load?
 Is the site well organized and logically arranged?
 Can you navigate the site without confusion?
 Is the text easy to read against the background?
 Are links helpful and relevant?
 Do graphics enhance (or distract from) the utility of the site?
In CD-Rom Format
 CD-ROM is another publishing medium falling under the economic
category of electronic sources available in most of the Indian libraries.
It is capable of containing enormous quantity of information.
 Most of the Indian libraries are using this medium these days to
fulfil their users requirements in an economic way.
 Encyclopaedias Academic
 American Encyclopedia
 Mc Graw-Hill Encyclopaedia of Science & Technology
 New Encyclopaedia Britannica
 Library & Information Science Abstracts
 Mc Graw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms
Conclusions
 Information is available at our fingertips around the clock; we can easily search the
Internet.
 Not all the information available is valid.
 Evaluation guide our decision-making process in both our personal and
professional lives.
 Evaluation of Web Resources
 Purpose
 Authority
 Accuracy
 Objectivity
 Currency/Timeliness
 Reliability
 Coverage
 Quality
 Format and Presentation
 Special Features
 Design
References
 Bosch, E. (2017). Library Basics: Evaluating Print Sources. Retrieved
07 2017, 10, from World wide web:
http://libguides.bgsu.edu/c.php?g=227153&p=1505673
 Choudhary, G.G. & Choudhary, Sudatta. Searching CD-Rom and online
information sources. Library Association, London, 2001. pp. 40-45.
 Dana Lynn Driscoll, A. B. (2013). Evaluating Print vs. Internet Sources.
Retrieved 07 10, 2017, from World wide web:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/04/
 Katz, W. A. (1991). Introduction to reference work. US: McGraw-Hill
Inc.
 Large, J.A. Evaluating online and CDRom reference sources.
J Librarianship, 1989, 21(2), 87-107.

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