Complete Practice Exercise MYTH: Computers don’t make mistakes; therefore everything that appears on the screen is true. FACT: INFORMATION THAT IS ON A COMPUTER IS ONLY AS TRUTHFUL AS THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY THE COMPUTER WITH THE INFORMATION. Type Examine the content and identify the orientation (type) of Web site: • Entertainment • Business/Marketing/Sales • Reference/Informational • News • Advocacy • Personal Page Goals Are the goals of the Web site (author) clearly stated? Objective Is the Web site biased or objective? Coverage Is the topic covered in depth or briefly? Are quality links to other useful sites included? Author Is the author’s name or the organization’s name listed? If an author is listed, does the author list his/her professional affiliation, credentials, or degrees? If an organization is listed is it well-known and reputable. Sources Does the Web site cite (list) where the information was obtained? Accuracy Is the information correct, or is the information verified by an editor(s) or a fact checker (most Web sites are not)? Therefore you should verify the facts with other sources such as authoritative books, periodicals or with an instructor or librarian. Currency Are the creation date and revision dates listed? Web Site Evaluation Hands-On Exercise Choose number 1, 2, or 3 to compare and evaluate. Use the checklist from UC Berkeley: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/EvalForm_General_Barker.pdf and document your findings. 1. News www.newnation.org and www.washingtonpost.com 2. Martin Luther King Jr. www.thekingcenter.org and www.martinlutherking.org 3. Cloning www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/cloning.shtml and www.humancloning.org 4. Driver License Information www.dmv.org and http://www.dmv.ca.gov/ 5. Hummer SUV http://www.hummer.com/ and http://www.edmunds.com/new/research/hummer/h3.html Turn in your checklist at the end of class.