Evaluating Information in the Age of Information Overload

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Evaluating Information in the Age of Information
Overload
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Information Overload is real
You cannot believe everything you read in books
or on-line.
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Print Resources

• Includes
• Books
• Encyclopedias
• Journals
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• They are edited and checked for accuracy before
  publication.
• They can be biased.

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Books have errors

• http//www.mbc.qld.edu.au/oxford/ouperror.html
• http//aima.eecs.berkeley.edu/errata.html

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What about the Internet?

• It is divided into Visible and Invisible parts.
• Visible web is searchable by things like Google.
• The Invisible Web is only searchable by special
  tools. Databases, specialized search engines.

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Can you believe these photos?

• http//urbanlegends.about.com/library/blphoto-wtc.
  htm
• http//www.snopes.com/photos/

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What about reliability?

• Visible web is not edited. No one checks
  accuracy.
• Invisible Web is better. Articles are checked
  and chosen for their accuracy.

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Wikipedia has errors

• It is a website created by anyone who wishes to
  contribute to it.
• It is edited only by those that read a selection.
  They may or may not know any more than the
  original author.

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Errors in Wikipedia vs. Enc. Brit.

• When articles from both publications were sent to
  experts for evaluation, eight serious errors were
  found. Four in the proudly amateurishly produced
  Wikipedia four in the supposedly professionally
  produced Britannica.
• When the error category was expanded to include
  "factual errors, omissions, or misleading
  statements" 162 were found in Wikipedia and 123
  in the Britannica.

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Simple Wikipedia

• http//simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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What should you look for?

• Author is clearly identified
• Author is an expert in this area
• Contact information is listed (e-mail)
• A reliable organization is connected to this web
  site
• Purpose of the web site is clear
• Site explains the topic thoroughly
• Information is easily read and understood

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Checking for credibility

• Check the authors credibility or expertise by
  doing a Google search or a Wikipedia search
• Look for their credentials, where they studied,
  the field they studied
• If no author, Google check the organization that
  produced it.

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And

• Site presents a balanced point of view, rather
  than pushing a particular perspective (bias-free)
• The point of view is fair
• Site does not contain advertising
• Date of creation/update is available
• The information is current
• All links work

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And...

• Facts stated can be checked and confirmed using
  other sources
• Site is free of errors
• Site is easy to navigate

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Check the URLs for clues

• http//www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/lung
• http// hypertext transfer protocolwww
  world wide webWebsite name...it directs the
  computer to the specific domain on the Internet.
  example Google. www.google.comDomain .com,
  .gov, .net, .org, .edu, .whatever, the domain
  TYPE. .com business, like Wal-Mart or Sears.
  .org, usually a non-profit organization. .gov,
  that's the government .edu, that's for schools
• After that directing the computer to the
  specific page within the domain. Think of it like
  an upside-down tree. The domain is the top, with
  all of the webpages housed within/below, and you
  can either link your way to them or direct type,
  if you have the actual page.
• COUNTRY CODE (two letter country code tells you
  where it was from)
• The filetype .doc .pdf .ppt

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Is it or isnt it?

• Example
• http//www.freerice.com/
• What does the URL tell you?
• Google (use links__URL____)
• www.alexa.com
• Domain Tools http//www.domaintools.com/

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Is it or isnt it?

• Dihydrogen Monoxide
• http//www.dhmo.org/
• What does the URL tell you?
• Google (use links__URL____)
• www.alexa.com
• Domain Tools http//www.domaintools.com/

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Global Warming a Web Site Evaluation Assignment

• Consider the topic of the Global Warming. Take a
  brief look at all of the following five sites
• Global Warming
• Global Warming Hoax
• Earthquakes and Global Warming
• Journal of Geoclimatic Studies
• Global Warming

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And these?

• http//www.preparingforemergencies.co.uk/index.htm
  (hoax)
• http//www.preparingforemergencies.gov.uk/ (real)
• http//www.malepregnancy.com/
• http//www.gatt.org or http//www.wto.org
• (for WTO)

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Hoaxes or not?

• Pregnancy test
• http//thepregnancytester.com/
• Genochoice
• http//genochoice.com/
• Boilerplate
• http//bigredhair.com/boilerplate/
• Bonsai Kitten
• http//www.shorty.com/bonsaikitten/
• Foot detox
• http//www.footbathdetox.com/
• Aluminum foil detector
• http//zapatopi.net/afdb/
• Pets or Food
• http//petsorfood.com/
• Clones
• http//www.d-b.net/dti/

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And these?

• California's Velcro Crop Alternative Medicine
  Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie Free the
  Children CBC News The White House The Coca
  Cola Company  BlackBerry Genochoice Dehydrated
  Water BoilerplateNHL.com Clones-R-UsCNN
  First Genetics Clonaid Pioneers in Human
  Cloning MoonBeam Enterprise Feline Reactions to
  Bearded Men Mankato, Minnesota Health Hazards
  of Tobacco Some Facts People for the Ethical
  Treatment of Animals (PETA) Research Division
  FIFA.com