Home
Opsomming
Abstract
Index
Introduction
  • First Impressions
  • Content
  • Age
  • Source
  • Purpose/
    Audience
    • Case Study
    Conclusion
    Web Site Types
    URLs
    Links
    Instant
    Criteria
    Handy Science Sites
    Bibliography
    Glossary

    		 Spider-web
    "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

    - The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

    Abstract
    1. The Problem
    2. The Purpose
    3. The Scope
    4. The Target Audience
    5. The Question
    6. A Possible Answer
    7. Conclusion

    1. The Problem

      2.  The Internet connects millions of computers and people from all over the world with each other. A few clicks with a mouse are usually enough to gain access to the computers of almost any university in the world. But it is not only professors and researchers with years of experience who publish on the Internet. Anyone can publish anything for any reason without any editing or verification of the content.


    2. The Purpose

      3.  The Web is a valuable source of the information needed by science journalists to confirm facts of stories or to gain background information on a subject - if they know that the information is reliable. This web site identifies and discusses criteria to help establish the credibility of a web site.


    3. The Scope

      4.  The Internet consists of far more than just the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web is, however, the most talked-about and best-known part of the Internet, and the criteria discussed on this web site are applicable to the World Wide Web alone. With a little common sense and the necessary adaptations they can, however, be used to determine the credibility of information found on other parts of the Internet.


    4. The Target Audience

      5.  Science journalists, students using the Web for research, and any other Web surfer will benefit from reading this document.


    5. The Question

      6.  Anybody can publish on the Web. Is there a set of rules that can be applied to a web site to measure its credibility? What are these rules?


    6. A Possible Answer

      7.
      • First Impressions Is the layout professional? Is the site user friendly? Is the style appropriate for the type of information? Is the document free of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors? Does it take too long to load?
      • The Content Are there flaws in the logic used? Is the writer biased? Is there any verification for this information? Is the information accurate and complete?
      • Age When was the web page published? Are there many broken links?
      • Source of the Information Who is the author? Who is the publisher? What do others have to say about this web site?
      • Purpose/Target Audience Who is the target audience? What does the user want from the web site? What is the purpose of the web site? Who gains what?

      A summary of the criteria in tabular form is available here.


    7. Conclusion

      8.  The criteria discussed on this web site are only guidelines. Some criteria are more important than others. The situation will determine the relevance of each of the criteria. The origin of the information, the purpose thereof and the logic used are usually the most important criteria. The most important rule, however, is the use of common sense. Examine more than one source and compare them with one another. An intelligent decision regarding the credibility of the information can only be made when all (or most) sides of a matter have been examined.



    For a complete index, click here, or here for the introduction.

    An Afrikaans version of the abstract is available here.
    'n Afrikaanse weergawe van die opsomming is hier beskikbaar.

    carines@ananzi.co.za
    Made with Notepad by carine on 31 December 2000