Evaluating Web Pages

So maybe the first four chapters might have been a bit overwhelming because let’s be honest, although great, this information is a bit intimidating. Intimidating in the sense that we might not have been familiar with the concepts and even terminology so naturally that makes it a bit scary. Now this chapter gets a little bit more real and a whole lot easier to understand. Why? Because we will tell you how to determine if the information you’re gathering is being taken from reliable sources, because after all, you don’t want to get your description of dinosaurs from a website created by an aficionado who is NOT an expert in dinosaurs. Or do you?

The first step to success is to learn to read the website address. Every aspect of an address is crucial in determining how reliable the site is.

 Let’s start with the basics. Look at this url:

http://www.sc.edu/beaufort/library/pages/bones/bones.shtml

This is what everything means:

• "http" means hypertext transfer protocol and refers to the format used to transfer and deal with information
• "www" stands for World Wide Web and is the general name for the host server that supports text, graphics, sound files, etc. (It is not an essential part of the address, and some sites choose not to use it)
• "sc" is the second-level domain name and usually designates the server's location, in this case, the University of South Carolina
• "edu" is the top-level domain name (see below)
• "beaufort" is the directory name
• "library" is the sub-directory name
• "pages" and "bones" are folder and sub-folder names
• the second "bones" is the file name
• "shtml" is the file type extension and, in this case, stands for "scripted hypertext mark-up language" (that's the language the computer reads).  The addition of the "s" indicates that the server will scan the page for commands that require additional insertion before the page is sent to the user.

These are the domains that are currently recognized:

• .edu -- educational site (usually a university or college)
• .com -- commercial business site
• .gov -- U.S. governmental/non-military site
• .mil -- U.S. military sites and agencies
• .net -- networks, internet service providers, organizations
• .org -- U.S. non-profit organizations and others

These are the new domains that are either starting to be taken into effect, or will soon:

• .aero -- restricted use by air transportation industry
• .biz -- general use by businesses
• .coop -- restricted use by cooperatives
• .info -- general use by both commercial and non-commercial sites
• .museum -- restricted use by museums
• .name -- general use by individuals
• .pro -- restricted use by certified professionals and professional entities

DETERMINING PAGE AUTHORSHIP

You obviously need to know where the information is coming from and most importantly, who is putting it out there. So first, you have to learn about the author/publisher because you need to know what their views/opinions/purpose, etc. are founded on. So here is what you have to ask  yourself:

1.      Who is responsible for the page you are accessing? Is it a governmental agency or other official source? A university? A business, corporation or other commercial interest? An individual?

It is safe to say that you can trust the GOV and EDU hostnames to present accurate information. 

The NET, ORG, MIL, and COM domains are more likely to host pages with their own personal or organizational agendas and might require additional verification.

CHECKING THE VITAL INFORMATION

A trustworthy Web page will more than likely provide you with this information:

• Last date page updated
• Mail-to link for questions, comments
• Name, address, telephone number, and email address of page owner

Now ask yourself this: If the page owner is not readily recognizable, does he provide you with credentials or some information on his sources or authority?

CHECKING THE CONTENT

If it’s on the Internet, then it must be true! Right? Wrong! You have to be careful in disseminating the information you’re getting. It is safe to assume that scholarly books and journal articles are reviewed, but who reviews the websites or checks for biases? Can the information you are finding be verified? Also, it is important to consider how often the information is updated. What may have been posted yesterday may be changed tomorrow. Check!