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Evaluating Information from
the Net
The Internet can be used very effectively for a lot
of information based activities. However, one would do well to remember that it
is important to evaluate the information one retrieves from any web-based search
with the following criteria :-
The authors / owners of the site:
-
Does the author / site owner, have some standing or is supported by an organization
or institution of repute?
- Is there a political, cultural or religious bias
or perspective?
The "recency" of the site: which means one needs
to check when the site was last updated.
- Is the information current
and updated as often as it needs to be?
- Is there an archive of past information,
or is it deleted when new updates are added? If the latter is true, you can never
quote matter from the site, because it cannot be verified later.
The
organization of matter:
- Is the information well organized?
- Is
the site searchable with a search facility and /or an index or table of contents?
The
authenticity of content:
- Has the page been edited, verified or peer
reviewed by others?
- Are sources cited?
- Is there any way one could
verify the content?
Compare with other sources:
- Are other
sources better (books, periodicals, etc.)
- Can the information be more easily
obtained from another source?
- How useful is the information for your purpose?
Also remember - the Internet is not an answer to ALL your information
needs; very often your telephone directory or your nearest public / institutional
library is a cheaper & better option for some very fundamental requirements.
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