Week 6 - UPC0004 *bullet points for 10 C's meant to be numbers*

Lecture:

This weeks lecture was about evaluating the authenticity of websites.

When evaluating the authenticity of a website it is important to consider the following issues:

• Anyone can publish anything on the web.


• Web resources rarely have editors or fact-checkers


• No web standards exhist to ensure accuracy.


• Sponsorship isn't usually indicated.


• Goals of the sponsors are not stated.


• Publication or revision dates are not provided.

When evaluating the authenticity of a website u must consider the following questions:

• Is the information reliable and error free?


• Is there an editor or somone to checks/varifies the information?


• Is there an author? Is the author qualified?


• Who is the sponsor? Is the sponsor reputable?


• Is there a link for information on the author or the sponsor?


• Is there anyway to determine where the information came from?


• Biass?


• Is the page persuasive towards one argument?


• Is there advertising?


• Is the page dated? When?


• How current is the information?

Tutorial:

Task 1:

In this weeks tutorial we were asked to look at

http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think.html

This website goes through authentication techniques. In that it offers guidelines in which you can follow to better uncover weather or not the website you are using for oyur research is authentic. It offers tips such as:

• Make sure you are in the rite place.


• When in doubt, doubt.


• Consider the source.


• Know whats happening.


• Look at detail.


• Distinguish web pages from pages found on the web.

The website also reccomend that when researching information, to consider:

• Authority - who are the authors and what gives them authority to write?


• Accuracy - is there good reason to trust the information presented on the site?
  
• Objectivity - what is the authors point if view?
  
• Currency - when was the information originally published and has it been updated?


• Coverage - does the site address the topic you are researching?


• Value - was the page worth visiting?

Task 2:

We were then asked to compare the information from the first website to that of http://www.taftcollege.edu/newTC/Academic/INCO48/sec6-4.htm

This website reccomended that we:

• Look at the domain name, ie - .com, .org, .gov etc...


• Who the author is.


• Why this page is on the world wide web.


• Look for the last time this page was updated.


• Remember the ten "C's" -

1. Content


2. Credibility


3. Critical thinking
   
4. Copyright
   
5. Citation


6. Continuity


7. Censorship


8. Connectivity


9. Comparability


10. Context
    

Task 3:

We were then asked to complete the "Relieveing the Sixties: Web Site Evaluation Assignment" from http://www.ithaca.edu/library/training/think60.html

We were ased to look at the accuracy, authorship, purpose, detail and design and overall worth of two of the areas that the web site explores.

• Accuracy - The information is accurate as the information presented coincides with information I have checked with other sources.
  


• Authorship - The author of each page is indicated below the text in which they have published.

• Purpose - The publisher of this web site has no monitary gain from the public use of their site. Therefore the information is for educational purposes only.


• Detail and design - The site has an easy to use interface and navigation throughout is simple.


• Overall worth - Being that the information is factual and trustrworthy, the layout and design is userfliendly, I believe that the web site is extremele worthy of use for anyone wishing to research information on life in the 1960's.