The Internet has become the major source of information today. Information is easily available in different formats on the Internet. There is no doubt that the Internet is a boon for students and educators, but finding quality and authentic information from the Internet is a difficult task because of the sheer volume of information available. Unlike the traditional information sources like books, newspapers, magazines or television, information available on the Internet is not verified for accuracy or quality. Anyone can publish almost anything on the Internet and it may not be possible to verify the authenticity of the publisher or the information.
Though there are no standard set of rules available to assess the reliability and authenticity of Internet resources, the following criteria are suggested to ensure the authenticity of a web resource.
Authority
It is important to check the authority of the person or organisation who is responsible for the content your are accessing. If the information regarding the person or institution who have created the content is available, we may try to ascertain the authenticity of the information based on the reputation and credibility of the person or institution concerned. If no information is available about the creator of the information, then the information may be considered as unreliable.
In general, the following questions are to be answered to confirm authority of information
- Is the name of the author/creator provided?
- Are his/her credentials listed (occupation, years of experience, position or education)?
- What are the qualification and affiliations of the author?
- Are there contact information like a postal address, phone number or email id available?
- Is it a standalone page or a comment on a site?
- Is there any link to the organisation to which the author belong and is the information posted on the institutional website?
- Are there citations/references to other works?
- What about the domain name/URL of the web resource? Do they provide any clues regarding the authenticity of the web resource as mentioned below?
Sources like Wikis cannot be considered as authentic, as anyone can modify the information with reviewing.
Accuracy
Look whether the information is provided on on online magazine or journal or similar platforms. If the resource is an online magazine or journal the content will be accurate as they have a system of peer-review before accepting materials for publication.
An authentic resource will have its sources listed clearly so that the factual information provided can
be verified. Also check whether there are any spelling or grammatical errors in the resource. Any such errors shows lack of care and it also indicates that there is no quality control or proof reading done before publishing information
Objectivity
The objectivity of a resource is important in evaluating an Internet resources. Objectivity means the content of the resources is based on facts and not influenced by personal feelings or prejudices or bias of the author. Some authors may project their personal views as facts.
Currency
Consider the date of publication of the resource. See whether the information is up-to-date checking when the information was first published and when was it last updated. Depending on the nature of the information provided, the currency of information is very important.
Coverage
Coverage means the extend to which the topic is dealt with. Does the author cover the topic at hand comprehensively and cites accurate and current sources?
See the style of presentation of the content and the purpose of the site or resource. The information provided with a commercial purpose like selling a product may not be trustworthy.
Appearance
This concerns with the general look and feel of the web resource. See whether the site appears to be well organised with proper navigation and the links working or not. A well maintained site with proper links to resources cited for further reading will be more reliable that a badly presented web resource.
Remember, a web resource may not reliable just because it has presented the information in an attractive manner with charts and pictures.
Ask yourself these questions before using resources from the World Wide Web:
Author
Is the name of the author/creator on the page?
Are his/her credentials listed (occupation, years of experience, position or education)?
Is the author qualified to write on the given topic? Why?
Is there contact information, such as an email address, somewhere on the page?
Is there a link to a homepage?
If there is a link to a homepage, is it for an individual or for an organization?
If the author is with an organization, does it appear to support or sponsor the page?
What does the domain name/URL reveal about the source of the information, if anything?
If the owner is not identified, what can you tell about the origin of the site from the address?
Purpose
Knowing the motive behind the page's creation can help you judge its content.
Who is the intended audience?
Scholarly audience or experts?
General public or novices?
If not stated, what do you think is the purpose of the site? Is the purpose to:
Inform or Teach?
Explain or Enlighten?
Persuade?
Sell a Product?
Objectivity
Is the information covered fact, opinion, or propaganda?
Is the author's point-of-view objective and impartial?
Is the language free of emotion-rousing words and bias?
Is the author affiliated with an organization?
Does the author's affiliation with an institution or organization appear to bias the information?
Does the content of the page have the official approval of the institution, organization, or company?
Accuracy
Are the sources for factual information clearly listed so that the information can be verified?
Is it clear who has the ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of the content of the material?
Can you verify any of the information in independent sources or from your own knowledge?
Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
Is the information free of grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors?
Reliability and Credibility
Why should anyone believe information from this site?
Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it unsupported by evidence?
Are quotes and other strong assertions backed by sources that you could check through other means?
What institution (company, government, university, etc.) supports this information?
If it is an institution, have you heard of it before? Can you find more information about it?
Is there a non-Web equivalent of this material that would provide a way of verifying its legitimacy?
Currency
If timeliness of the information is important, is it kept up-to-date?
Is there an indication of when the site was last updated?
Links
Are links related to the topic and useful to the purpose of the site?
Are links still current, or have they become dead ends?
What kinds of sources are linked?
Are the links evaluated or annotated in any way?
Note: The quality of Web pages linked to the original Web page may vary; therefore, you must always evaluate each Web site independently.
Source for the above questions:
https://www.library.georgetown.edu/tutorials/research-guides/evaluating-internet-content
Social Media
The credibility of the information available on social media cannot be assessed as easily as on the Internet because the misinformation and rumours can be spread quickly on social media like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp etc.
The practice of using social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to disseminate false information is bringing in a dangerous trend. There have been numerous instances of fake news misleading people, spreading false propaganda or maligning people as well as entire communities. Most of the users forward the information received without verifying the authenticity of information.
India now has the second highest number of internet users in the world after China. About 27% of Indian population are Internet users.
The criteria listed above can also be applied in verifying the reliability of information on social media.
When you get a email or a social media message you find doubtful, do a Google search and the truth can be found out.
Do not forward or spread any such messages without verifying its authenticity.
The following sites will be useful in verifying the email or social media hoaxes
http://hoax-slayer.com/
http://www.hoaxorfact.com/
If you have completed this lesson, please see the tasks given to assess a web resource finding answers to the questions listed above.
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