 |
|
|
 |
| |
Reliable Information on the Internet
Many millions of people use the Internet, or World Wide Web, to find information upon which to make personal, business and academic decisions. In fact, the Internet is a bonanza of useful information, entertainment and education on just about any topic you can think of. But all that glitters is not gold, and the bonanza on the Internet includes a fair share of pyrite. How can you tell whether you've struck it rich, or simply gotten a handful of fools gold? This guide will teach you.
Why Isn't Information on The Internet Necessarily Reliable?
The Internet is made of millions of computers world wide loosely connected to one another. It grew out of a need during the Cold War for scientists to communicate with one another regardless of what might be happening in the world: even nuclear war couldn’t destroy the Internet because it had no central governing board or headquarters. since the Cold War days, the Internet has evolved into a communication tool used by everyone. In today’s World Wide Web, anyone, from the most prestigious university to the guy next door, can create material and post it on the Web. Sometimes this openness is a strength; it allows all points of view a forum in which to make a case and creates ways for people to communicate and share ideas. Such openness is sometimes a weakness; with no editors or fact-checkers between the author and the reader, mistakes, misinformation and mistruth may also abound.For Information about the Internet, what it is and how it works:
Browse the Library shelves in the 004s Or visit
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/
How Do I Find Information on The Internet?
One of the best ways is to use a tool called a “search engine.” A search engine is a computer program that searches the web pages it has indexed for the words or phrases you tell it to find. Your search can be simple or complex.Currently, some of the best search engines to try are:
- Google: www.google.com
For more powerful search options, try “Advanced Search”
- Alltheweb/FAST: www.alltheweb.com
- HotBot: www.hotbot.com
For a great list of all the search engines and a review with the latest on each, visit:
- Search Engine Showdown: www.searchengineshowdown.com or
- Search Engine Watch: www.searchenginewatch.com
Another way to find information is to browse. The Internet can be browsed in much the same way as you browse the library or a bookstore. To browse the Web by a topic that interests you, go to a search engine or a web site that links sites by category. Here are two to try:
- Yahoo!: www.yahoo.com
Look for the section on Yahoo’s homepage that is a “web site directory.”
It may say that the section organizes by subject. Click on the subject(s) you are interested in browsing.
- Librarians Index to the Internet: www.lii.org
was developed by librarians. This site has selected web sites organized by topic. While there are far fewer sites here, the ones you do find have been evaluated by librarians for reliability and accuracy.
To find library books about how to search the Internet, browse the library shelves in the 004s. If you don’t find just what you’re looking for, try the library catalog (subject is Internet.) And if you’re still not finding answers ask a librarian at the reference desk. We’ll be happy to give you quick pointers on the spot or you can sign up for an appointment with a librarian for a more extensive one-on-one lesson.
Is The Information I Find Reliable?
That’s the $64,000 question!
With practice, most of the time everyone can learn to find something that seems to answer their question. But how can you tell if you have hit gold or pyrite? Here are some ways to help you evaluate the quality, validity and trustworthiness of the site you have found.The first thing any good Internet consumer does is ask themselves the following questions:
- Who is responsible for the content on this site?
A business (dot.com)? An organization (dot.org or dot.net)? A government (dot.gov)? Or maybe it’s an individual? If the site does not clearly state what person, agency or group is responsible for creating and hosting the site, one should take serious pause about accepting it as a useful source of information.
- Is the “who” likely to affect the validity of what is posted?
Is the person or group responsible for the material likely to know what they are talking about? Is it probable that those posting this information have a particular bias or motive? If so, would that bias or motive affect the trustworthiness of the information? Ask yourself: “why should I believe this?”
- Is the information posted current?
Sometimes it’s hard to tell how current the information is on a web site. Look for a date, often at the bottom of the page, or scan the text for a clue. Sometimes you can find out when the web page was created. In Netscape, for example, look at “Page Info” (right click in the page, or look under View | Page Info.)
- And lastly, ask yourself how the creators of this site are funding its existence.
Since most sites on the Internet allow “free” access, it’s tempting to think that visiting such sites are indeed free. There is no free lunch! If the site uses ads to defray the cost of its creation or maintenance, does that make it more possible that the information may be slanted in favor of the advertisers? If you fill out a questionnaire on a site, will your personal information be sold to advertisers? A healthy dose of suspicion is a good thing: read the privacy policies on sites that have them, notice who the advertisers are, ask yourself whether the site is trying to manipulate you.
Once you have asked and answered the above questions, there are some other things you can do to further evaluate the site.
• Sometimes we can be correctly judged by the company we keep, so see what other sites link to the one you’re evaluating. It’s easy to do: go to any search engine (Google is a good one) and in the search box type the URL (www address) with the word link: in front of it. For example, to see who is linking to the Rancho Mirage Public Library homepage, you could go to Google and type in the search box: Link:www.miragenet.org
- See what other sources have to say about the company, individual, web site, or product/idea. Can you find confirmation in another unrelated source that either the web site content creator or the specific information is well regarded or accurate? Use the Library’s subscription periodical database to see what non-Internet media might have to say about it. (Ask a librarian about using InfoTrac for this.)
Want more ideas about how to evaluate the reliability of web sites? Go to The Librarians Index to the Internet www.lii.org. Select “Internet” and then “evaluating.” This will take you to a list of useful sites.
To borrow the opening line of a famous piece of literature, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”
Information on the Internet is often both the best and worst, the wise and the foolish. By being a thoughtful consumer you can strike gold, pretty much every time.And when you can’t, call the Library.
A librarian is always happy to... HELP
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT CONTENT ON WEB SITES FREQUENTLY CHANGE AND SOME SITES MAY EVEN DISAPPEAR! IF YOU NEED ASSISTANCE EXPLORING NEW OR DIFFERENT WEB SITES, ASK A LIBRARIAN. WE’RE ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP! |
|
|
