19/09/07 WK 8 Evaluation and Authentication

Week 8 Lecture

Evaluation and Authentication

When using information from an unknown source the source first needs to be evaluated in order to establish accuracy, relevance and reliability. Information found on the web can be extremely untrustworthy. The Web has no quality control and those who publish on it are able to do so without having to adhere to any standards. So the information found there must be treated with extreme caution.

There are three major areas to consider when assessing content found on the web. Accuracy, authority and coverage.

To assess accuracy, consider whether the author is biased, what the authors intentions are for publishing the site, is the author knowledgeable, when was the page last updated, are there errors and is the information supported by references etc.

When considering the issue of authority ask questions about the identity of the author, whether the author is qualified to give information on the topic, is the author contactable, who are the sponsors of the site, is information about the author and sponsors available?

The coverage of information contained in a site needs to be considered as the amount present and purpose of the site will determine whether it is factual source or one created for amusement. Also is the site relevant to your purpose? A good question to ask is, 'could better quality information and a larger amount be found in an encyclopedia?' If yes than the source is probably not a reliable one. Consider if the information gives both an argument for and against. Consider if the site is trying to persuade you to it's point of view and if the site covers enough information.

Workshop Summary

Describe in your own words the strategies covered on the ICYouSee Critical Thinking page.

• When searching for information on the web, ask yourself if it the most efficient place to be searching. If finding what you are after would be quicker another way, then wasting time searching the web is unnecessary. Not all information can be found on the web. It may be easier to search a state library for example, for historical information which may to old to be found on the web.
• Question any information found on the web and try to establish it's reliability before believing it. Check other sources to see how the site compares, consider whether there are any references for the site and check any links that are given.
• Consider who is responsible for a site and what their qualifications are. Looking at the URL can give some information on the site such as a .gov; will mean it's more reliable than one on the same topic with a tilde (~) in it's domain name as these represent a personal site. Look to see if the creator of the site is contactable and always try to establish whether or not they are experts in the subject.
• Be aware of the hidden intent of some web pages. Sometimes bias is obvious but can also be well disguised. Look consciously as that a site may be trying to manipulate your opinion. Consider the sponsors for the site and if it is their intent to sell something rather than give factual information.
• Reflect on whether the site looks professional. Dose it contain spelling or grammatical errors? Is the site serious with an focus on content rather than extravagant graphics and has put more time into the look of the site rather than the reliability of information.
• Know the difference between Web pages and pages found on the web. Always question information that you read as it may be written by an expert but still contain bias. News and magazine articles may be available online but not published especially for the web. Considering where information is from will be useful in establishing it's creator and their intent.

Evaluate two websites from ICYouSee under the provided headings.

The Almost Great society: The 1960's

Accuracy

The article 'Lecture 27' provides many dates and statistics in chronological order and provides acknowledgment of sources from which the photos were derived, including the copy write date. Errors in spelling were not detected, the paragraphs are well structured, the only discrepancy with the quality of the information is occasionally it not as formally worded as tertiary standards require.

Authorship

An .edu is present in the URL title and the end of the document contains the copyright of the University of Wisconsin. The individual author is not credited and therefore their expertise can not be evaluated. It is highly likely that this document is from the University of Wisconsin but whether a professor of student created it, is not stated. Presumably because of its origin the article is reliable but the information and particularly the dates should be checked with another reference source.

Purpose

The intention of this source is clear in it’s purpose is to educate. Links to other lectures are present and the article appears to be in a series of lectures in this site. As in it's authorship this page is hosted by the University of Wisconsin so assuming it is educational purposes would be a safe assumption.

Detail and Design

The design of this site looks less like as university class resource and more like a creative report presented by a student in secondary education. A tertiary paper for learning purposes on American history, expectedly, would use limited colour and creative flair and be presented rather in formal essay structure which seems the purpose of the subtitle of 'Lecture 27' implies. The title 'American History 102' has been creatively presented giving it the feel of a creative article or student presentation. Structured in report format, the information is presented under headings, incorporates photos witch is not like a report as a secondary school assignment and the decorative background diminishes from the formality of the topic and seems less reliable due to this fact.

Overall Worth

If dates used in this report were found to be correct this resource would be useful to a student considering how to group information. It’s presentation and lack of a credited author does not make it of academic quality and would need peer approval before using it’s information as a reliable resource.

American Cultural History

Accuracy

The accuracy in this article is difficult to determine because the information is presented in the form of a summary. There are references in the summaries provided which allows the user to gain some knowledge of the topics covered. Some of the summaries provided do seem to have drawn conclusions without factual references and appears more in the form of an account of some one who was present rather than a well read expert.

Authorship

An .edu is found in the URL of this site, which credits this site as an education facility. The authors names are present but their credentials are not given. The information is subjected to the copyright of the Kingwood College Library making information considered valuable by the author. It is likely this information is from the source that is quoted and being a library resource was probably created by a librarian, but as no credentials are sited for the author, whether the author is an expert on the subject remains undetermined.

Purpose

The purpose of the information is to provide overviews in the cultural subject areas of the 60's. This source is structured in the form of a library resource that was created to assits students in this area of research. This is evident due to the list of given resources under each summary.

Detail and Design

The design of the site and structure of the information is professional and well researched. The addition of photos may not be necessary but work well with the purpose of the information to give and introduction to the subject areas.

Overall Worth

The relevance of this site is restricted to users wanting information on cultural history. The information would be reasonably useful to anyone researching this information as linking to the different areas will bring the user directly to what they are interested in and allow them to only have to read what is need.

11/09/07 WK 7 Using the WWW

Week 7 Lecture

Using the WWW

The difference between the World Wide Web and the Internet

The Internet, created by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989, is a network of connected computers linked by cables to enable information to be shared with computers all over the world.

The World Wide Web is the program that exists in virtual space to allow the the transfer and exchange of data.

The information on the Web is available to anyone with an internet connection transferred by t transmission control protocols (information sent by telephonic communication) and Internet protocols (one network to another).

The transfer and exchange of data and files is known as HTTP (hyper text transmission protocols). Information on the web is stored in HTML (the behind the scenes language structure) and the viewing of information is commonly known as ‘surfing’ where the user is directed to information via hyper links.

Identifying the type of resource on the web is done by considering the domain name system conventions or the DNS conventions.

A Web address includes these conventions and is typed into the Web address field which then directs the user to a certain location.

- www. is located in front of an IP address, also known as a Web address.

- .com; .org; .net; are international domain names located at the end of a Web address.

- .au; .nz; .ca; are abbreviations located after the domain name which define the country where the information was produced. NB: Web addresses don’t always contain the countries domain name.

Tools that are needed to access the Web include:

A computer, a modem, software for internet connection (stored on the users computer to allow a type of access, eg. dial up - a connection with reduced speed connected via a telephone socket or broadband, – a faster connection speed connected via a cable linked to the telephone exchange), a phone line, a Web browser and a search engine allowing the user to locate information.

Web Browsers

A Web browser is a program that acts as a user interface for viewing information on the Web. Some of the different types include Internet Explorer, MyIE, Netscape and Firefox.

Browsers allow the user to perform different functions whilst viewing Web pages. Some of these include searching, navigating and capturing pictures for later use.

Tools for navigation can include tab browsing, allowing multiple pages to be open in the same browser without closing the current page. Buttons, which allow the user to go backwards and forwards between pages, a button returning the user to the home page and the history button which allows the user to view the pages recently visited.

Also, key board shortcuts can allow more efficient Web browsing. For example, Ctrl + s = save, Ctrl + p = print, Ctrl + h = history etc. To discover shortcuts, browse the Web for lists or practice trial combinations.

Workshop Summary

Consider the websites Haggis Hunt and Molossia;

How have they attempted to appear authentic?

Haggis Hunt has made attempts to appear authentic with it's use of sponsors, images of real life locations, featured facts and pictures. Logos of legitimate sponsors appear on the homepage and as a prize, a stay at the Gleneagles hotel is given, giving support to a site which clearly is not authentic. The use of real life locations for the "Haggis Cams" influence the audience in assuming the site is valid. Where as fictional locations would raise suspicions immediately. Also facts such as the scientific name, history and habits for a Haggis and the depth of information appear to give the site credibility.

The Molossia homepage claims it's self as an 'Official Website' and employs writing which looks to be in another language. Images such as a photo of a real person, an emblem, national flag add in depth information and official headings such as 'Government Agencies' all give the impression of an authentic website.

Give four clues that exposes these sites as spoofs.

The 'Hunt from your computer' instruction on the Haggis website raised suspicions as to whether it was a legitimate animal as this is not how hunting usually takes place. Words used in the Haggisclopedia don't exist, such as Drumnadrochit and Meuran. A 'Haggis Fact' found on the homepage suggested the natural enemy of the Haggis is "anything with teeth" as well as the presented fact of "Haggis fur is waterproof but not shower proof" is presented as fact but causes confusion as it is illogical.

The information contained on the Molossia website establishes it as a hoax. For example, fictishous language and stories are used. The word "dastardly" and the "Dead Dog War" are intended for comical relief. The picture which accompanies Dead Dog story is accompanied by a photo which is supposed to depict a war hero but features what is the stereotypical geek. Another clue that the site is a hoax is the size of the country Molossia. It's listed to be 2-5 hectares long which is a country at all. The ridiculousness of the content contained in this is intended to illicit humor.

Consider the Martin Luther King Website;

What are you initial expectations?

The URL of this site gives the impression it is an official website which would contain information similar to information found in an encyclopedia. A URL featuring the full name of a person is generally associated with official websites. Unofficial websites URL's are more likely to be a derivative of a subjects name. With an official looking URL the expectation is that the site will factual and unbiased.

What are your first impressions?

First impressions of this website are the photo's of Martin Luther King, which appear authentic. Secondly the links on the right hand side of the page give them impression of official information. After a first glance though, seen underneath the centre photo is a link to 'rap lyrics.' Then, is a link to the new 'MLK' video titled "The Brothas' Be PeacefulIn Da' Hood." These two links then start to raise questions about official this site is.

After looking at some of the articles, what is your impression now?

The articles are heavily biased and very critical. This site seeks to destroy any credibility of the actions of Martin Luther King and seeks to manipulate the audience into agreeing with the authors. Spotted at the end of the page is the host of the website. Clicking on the link 'Stormfront' the audience is then directed to a site that contains the motto "White pride world wide." As the creator of a site about a coloured man, the author claims them self to be racists. This raises serious concerns about objectivity and is likely that author of this site is completely biased.

Week 7 Reading

History of the World Wide Web

This article is a well documented account of the development of the World Wide Web. It employs large amounts of computer jargon which may be a useful for computer science students but is not likely to be as valuable for the everyday user. With yearly and monthly updates this article covers the basics of who? Tim Berners-Lee. What? Interconnected computers coined the World Wide Web. When? The 1980’s. Where? America, and why? For the purpose of sharing research information. Some facts listed include the first media interest in 1993 to the first surfing experience for the general public in 1995 .

History of the WWW

An in depth look at the evolution of technology with a focus on the origins of computers. This site explains clearly the process of how the Internet was created. Also explained is the reasons why how the Internet developed with all information plainly put for the ease of the majority of audiences. It describes the Internet as a “system for allowing computers to communicate with each other”, and continues to inform the audience on the functioning which allows computers to communicate with each other and how the World Wide Web came into being. With the knowledge this site provides the audience is able to gain a fairly strong understanding of the existence of the online environment.

Search engine watch tutorials

Search Engine Watch Tutorial offers step-by-step easy to use instructions in the basics of effective Web searching. It covers the use of symbols (search engine math), ways to refine searches in order to limit results, as well as ways to extend a search. Instructions are given on how to find related words, how to extend words and how to find pages on similar information. The site also offers a long list of links to other sites with information on search engines and has provided simple summaries on each to enable the viewer to better seek out information. This site is thorough in its intent to provide information to the audience when maximizing their web searching.

04/09/07 WK 6 Using EndNote

Week 6 Lecture

Using EndNote

A reference list or bibliography, is a compiled list of works used when researching that is cited at the end of a piece of work. Specifically, a reference list contains only the sources referred to in the work where as a bibliography is a list of all the sources that were used when researching.

EndNote is a database used to record and save references for use in bibliographies. EndNote can be used in conjunction with MS Word, supports a variety of formatting styles and is equipped with an internal search option.

Also Covered

Marking key for blog assessment: Be aware that although the blog are assessed as a formal piece of writing a sense of the author needs to be reflected in the work. The material included in the blog needs to be consistent, date ordered with each of the entries dated and headed with appropriate titles.

Workshop Summary

Set up an EndNote Library



Week 6 Reading

EndNote Technical Support & Services - This website offers online tutorials, 'Webinars' (online seminars), online training and any form of assistance that may be needed when using EndNote. It is user friednly with all it's resources available at the click of a button.

Guide to EndNote v9 @ ECU - A 'How To Guide' on using EndNote. Equipped with the aid of screen shots this guide walks you through step by step on using the features of EndNote.

ECU Referencing guide - With reference to the APA Publication Manual, this is the style of formatting that must be followed when referencing at ECU.