Reference no: EM132949497

Evaluating Web Sites  

"You may have heard that 'knowledge is power,' or that information, the raw material of knowledge, is power. But the truth is that only some information is power: reliable information" ~Robert Harris~

Many of you have done a fair amount of browsing and searching on the Internet. Have you ever stopped to question the content of sites you encounter when you are looking for cold, hard facts?

Anyone can publish on the Internet and most of that content is not verified for accuracy, unlike many print journals and other publications. The job of fact verification is left up to you, the user.

Expert searching of the Internet for information is a valuable skill, but knowing how to evaluate what you find is something of an art. The same skills that go into evaluating print materials can be applied to evaluating web content. Honing those skills until they become second nature will make the task of wading through the glut of information out there a little easier.

Objectives:

• In a search engine, use basic search strategies to bring back sites with information on a topic.
• Choose any website from the Hospitality and Tourism Industry (Hotels, Restaurant, Airline, Tour companies, Any attraction or Cruise Line.

When looking at information provided on the Internet, keep in mind the following criteria (you do NOT have to answer the questions listed in each criteria in writing for the sites evaluated):

Accuracy:  

• Is the information reliable?
• Free from errors?
• Are the sources of information listed?
• Can you verify them?

Authority:

• Is the author an expert in the field?
• Is the publisher of the site reputable?
• What does the domain of the document tell you?
• Do you find any biases on the site?
• What is the motivation for the site?
• To inform?
• To persuade?
• To explain?
• Is the intended audience of the site indicated?

Currency: How updated in the content?

Is the date of last update easily found?

Coverage/Scope:

• Does the site contain original information, or just a bunch of links?
• What topics are covered?
• Is the topic covered in depth?

Accessibility: 

• Is the site consistently available?
• How many links are dead ends?
• Does it cost money to use the site?
• Do you have to register to use the site?
• What happens when you encounter an "official" looking site?
• At first glance it appears authoritative and reliable. Deciding whether the information presented is accurate and objective.