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When you begin to search a topic on the Internet you need
to be aware that it is
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Only ONE source of information
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It is not organised in any way under subject headings
(like a library catalogue is)
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It is often quite difficult and time-consuming to find
useful information
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Anyone can publish anything on the Internet
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There is no quality control - the information is not
checked for accuracy or reliability by a publisher (unlike a book)
Before including the information you find on the Internet
in your own work always consider the following points. Further useful
information can be found on the Victorian
Department of Education web site. A pdf
document has also been produced for teacher and student evaluation
of web sites.
Who is responsible for the web site?
Is it sponsored by:
Look at the URL (web address) for clues to who is responsible
for the site
Purpose
Why has the information been put there?
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as a public service
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for political reasons
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for personal reasons (i.e. a personal homepage)
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for purely commercial reasons?
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Is the information biased in any way? e.g. Some lobby
groups put information on their web site specifically to influence
others to their point of view. The information may not be fair or
present both sides of an issue
Who wrote the information?
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Can you tell who wrote the information and if so, have
you heard of him/her before?
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Is there any information on the author's qualifications
or expertise in the field and other articles they have written?
Accuracy of the information
If you doubts about the accuracy of the accuracy of the information you
should cross-check it with other sources such as:
- other Internet material
- print sources
- expert knowledge (i.e. contact a known authority)
- personal knowledge
Is the page dated?
Look for a date on a web page to indicate:
- when the information was first written
- when it was placed on the web
- how up-to-date the information is
Quick checklist
Look for the following on any web pages:
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Name of the organisation or institution that is responsible
for the site e.g. Monash University
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Name of the person who wrote the information
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Name of the person who maintains the site and contact
address
- Date on which page was last updated
Be very careful when using information from a web site that does not
have these details readily available. If you are doubt about the reliability
of the information check with your teacher before including it in your
work.
Compiled with assistance from the following Internet
resources:
'Using the Internet for Research - Using the Internet' (1999), Department
of Education [Online] http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/internet/workshet.htm
(Accessed: 5 Nov. 1999)
'Internet resource evaluation use it' (1999), University of Queensland
Library [Online] http://www.library.uq.edu.au/internet/inteval.html
(Accessed: 12 Nov. 1999)
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