Web wisdom : how to evaluate and create information quality on the Web

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Where to find it

Information & Library Science Library

Call Number
TK5105.888 .A376 2010
Status
Available

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Names:

Summary

Mobile technologies, faster connection speeds, and the 24/7 connectivity that has lead to the development of social media have created an explosion of Internet use in the ten years since the initial publication of Web Wisdom: How To Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web. A decade ago, these technologies and activities did not exist or were the purview of small select groups of internet users. Despite dramatic changes in the online realm, the basic evaluation principles presented in the first edition remain as applicable today as they were in the 1990s. Keeping up with the advances required to navigate the web for research, this second edition provides:

Expanded discussion of copyright, trademark, and other related issues with specific reference to web authoring New chapters on user-generated content and the challenges present by web resources Expanded discussion on issues related to incorporation of multimedia elements into web pages Revised and updated web page screen captures that illustrate the major concepts discussed A companion web site with supplemental materials related to the evaluation and creation of web content

Many people mistakenly assume that as online technologies mature and the use of Internet-based content becomes ubiquitous, the need to emphasize critical evaluation skills lessens. On the contrary, the phenomenal global growth of the internet coupled with the ever increasing sophistication of online technologies and software applications requires individuals to be even savvier web users. This book describes the basic elements that web resource users, new or experienced, need to address to identify reliable and practical online content. The book also provides important guidance for creators of Web-based resources to more effectively convey their messages to web users. Presented in a straightforward and highly accessible format for readers of all backgrounds, the tools and strategies outlined in this book will help users and creators of Internet¿based content to meet the diverse evaluation challenges posed by the web.

Contents

  • List of Illustrations p. xi
  • Preface p. xiii
  • Acknowledgments p. xv
  • About the Author p. xvii
  • Related Web Site p. xix
  • Chapter 1 Web Wisdom: Introduction and Overview p. 1
  • Introduction p. 1
  • The Need for Web-Specific Evaluation Criteria p. 2
  • What This Book Includes p. 3
  • A Note about Design Issues p. 4
  • How to Use This Book p. 4
  • Two Important Caveats p. 5
  • Definitions of Key Terms p. 5
  • Chapter 2 Information Quality Criteria for Web Resources p. 7
  • Introduction p. 7
  • A Comparison between Two Web Pages Presenting Information p. 7
  • Five Traditional Evaluation Criteria and Their Application to Web Resources p. 10
  • Authority p. 10
  • Authority of Traditional Sources p. 10
  • Authority of Web Sources p. 11
  • Accuracy p. 11
  • Accuracy of Traditional Sources p. 11
  • Accuracy of Web Sources p. 12
  • Objectivity p. 12
  • Objectivity of Traditional Sources p. 12
  • Objectivity of Web Sources p. 13
  • Currency p. 13
  • Currency of Traditional Sources p. 13
  • Currency of Web Sources p. 13
  • Coverage and Intended Audience p. 14
  • Coverage and Intended Audience of Traditional Sources p. 14
  • Coverage and Intended Audience of Web Sources p. 14
  • Conclusion p. 14
  • Chapter 3 Additional Challenges Presented by Web Resources p. 15
  • Introduction p. 15
  • The Use of Hypertext Links p. 15
  • The Use of Frames p. 16
  • Dynamic Web Content p. 16
  • Database-Driven Web Sites p. 16
  • Really Simple Syndication p. 17
  • Software Requirements and Other Factors That Limit Access to Information p. 17
  • Pages Retrieved Out of Context by Search Engines p. 19
  • The Susceptibility of Web Pages to Alteration p. 19
  • The Redirection of URLs to Different Web Sites and Other Malicious Activities p. 19
  • The Instability of Web Pages p. 20
  • Conclusion p. 20
  • Chapter 4 Weblogs and Wikis: Social Media Content p. 21
  • Introduction p. 21
  • Social Media: An Overview p. 21
  • Weblogs (Blogs) p. 22
  • Wikis p. 22
  • Evaluation Challenges Presented by Social Media Content p. 23
  • Conclusion p. 27
  • Chapter 5 Advertising and Sponsorship on the Web p. 29
  • Advertising, Sponsorship, and Information on the Web p. 29
  • Defining Advertising and Sponsorship p. 29
  • Commercial Advertising p. 30
  • Advocacy Advertising p. 30
  • Institutional Advertising p. 31
  • Word-of-Mouth Advertising p. 31
  • Corporate Sponsorship p. 33
  • Nonprofit Sponsorship p. 33
  • Distinguishing among Advertising, Sponsorship, and Information on the Web p. 33
  • The Overlapping and Blending of Advertising and Sponsorship on the Web p. 33
  • A Continuum of Objectivity on the Web p. 36
  • Hypertext Links and the Blending of Advertising, Information, and Entertainment p. 36
  • Sorting Out the Relationship between Advertisers, Sponsors, and Information p. 36
  • Strategies for Analyzing Web Information Provided by Sites That Have Advertisers or Sponsors p. 38
  • Conclusion p. 40
  • Chapter 6 Applying Basic Evaluation Criteria to a Web Page p. 41
  • How to Use Chapters 6 through 12 p. 41
  • Incorporation of the Basic Elements into Web Pages p. 41
  • Authority (Elements 1 and 2) p. 41
  • Element 1 Authority (Site Level) p. 42
  • Element 2 Authority (Page Level) p. 42
  • Element 3 Accuracy of the Information p. 46
  • Element 4 Objectivity of the Information p. 47
  • Element 5 Currency of the Information p. 49
  • Element 6 Coverage of the Information and Its Intended Audience p. 50
  • Interaction and Transaction Features p. 52
  • An Introduction to Navigational and Nontext Features p. 53
  • Consistent and Effective Use of Navigational Aids p. 53
  • Browser Title p. 55
  • Page Title p. 56
  • URL for the Page p. 56
  • Hypertext Links p. 56
  • Site Map and Index p. 56
  • Internal Search Engine p. 56
  • Effective Use of Nontext Features p. 57
  • Information on the Six Types of Web Pages p. 58
  • The Checklist of Basic Elements: Keys to Evaluating or Creating Web Pages p. 58
  • Authority (AUTH) p. 58
  • Authority of a Site p. 58
  • Authority of a Page p. 59
  • Accuracy (ACC) p. 59
  • Objectivity (OBJ) p. 60
  • Currency (CUR) p. 60
  • Coverage and Intended Audience (COV/IA) p. 60
  • Interaction and Transaction Features (INT/TRA) p. 61
  • Chapter 7 Keys to Information Quality in Advocacy Web Pages p. 63
  • Keys to Recognizing an Advocacy Web Page p. 63
  • Analysis of Advocacy Web Pages p. 63
  • The Advocacy Checklist: Keys to Evaluating and Creating Advocacy Web Pages p. 65
  • Authority p. 66
  • Authority of the Site's Home Page p. 66
  • Accuracy p. 66
  • Objectivity p. 66
  • Interaction and Transaction Features p. 66
  • Chapter 8 Keys to Information Quality in Business Web Pages p. 67
  • Keys to Recognizing a Business Web Page p. 67
  • Analysis of Business Web Pages p. 67
  • The Business Web Page Checklist: Keys to
  • Evaluating and Creating Business Web Pages p. 70
  • Authority p. 71
  • Authority of the Site's Home Page p. 71
  • Accuracy p. 71
  • Objectivity p. 71
  • Currency p. 71
  • Coverage and Intended Audience p. 72
  • Interaction and Transaction Features p. 72
  • Chapter 9 Keys to Information Quality in Informational Web Pages p. 73
  • Keys to Recognizing an Informational Web Page p. 73
  • Analysis of Informational Web Pages p. 73
  • The Informational Web Page Checklist: Keys to Evaluating and Creating Informational Web Pages p. 75
  • Authority p. 77
  • Authority of the Site's Home Page p. 77
  • Accuracy p. 77
  • Currency p. 77
  • Coverage and Intended Audience p. 77
  • Chapter 10 Keys to Information Quality in News Web Pages p. 19
  • Keys to Recognizing a News Web Page p. 19
  • Analysis of News Web Pages p. 19
  • The News Web Page Checklist: Keys to Evaluating and Creating News Web Pages p. 82
  • Authority p. 82
  • Authority of a Page within the Site p. 82
  • Accuracy p. 82
  • Objectivity p. 82
  • Currency p. 82
  • Coverage and Intended Audience p. 83
  • Chapter 11 Keys to Information Quality in Personal Web Pages p. 85
  • Keys to Recognizing a Personal Web Page p. 85
  • Analysis of a Personal Web Page p. 85
  • Chapter 12 p. 89
  • Keys to Recognizing an Entertainment Web Page p. 89
  • Entertainment Pages: A Note for Web Users p. 89
  • Analysis of an Entertainment Web Page p. 92
  • Entertainment Web Page Creation Issues p. 92
  • Chapter 13 Creating Effective Web Pages and Sites p. 93
  • Introduction p. 93
  • The Navigational Aids Checklist p. 93
  • NAV 1: Browser Titles p. 93
  • Browser Title for a Home Page p. 93
  • Browser Title for Pages That Are Not Home Pages p. 94
  • NAV 2 The Page Title p. 94
  • Page Title for a Home Page  p. 94
  • Page Title for a Page That Is Not a Home Page p. 94
  • NAV 3 Hypertext Links p. 94
  • NAV 4 The URL for the Page p. 94
  • NAV 6 Internal Search Engine p. 95
  • The Nontext Features Checklist p. 95
  • Nontext Features (NONTX) p. 95
  • The Interaction and Transaction Features Checklist p. 95
  • Interaction and Transaction Issues (INT/TRA) p. 96
  • The Web Site Functionality Checklist p. 96
  • Printing Issues p. 96
  • Usability and Quality of External Links p. 96
  • Usability of the Site p. 97
  • MetaTags p. 97
  • A Brief Introduction p. 97
  • Descriptor Mela Tags p. 98
  • Example of a Descriptor Meta Tag p. 98
  • Keyword Meta Tags p. 98
  • Tips for Using the Key word Meta Tag p. 99
  • Example of a Keyword Meta Tag Included with a Descriptor Meta Tag p. 99
  • Copyright and Disclaimers p. 99
  • Copyright and the Web p. 99
  • Works in the Public Domain (Works Not Protected by Copyright) p. 100
  • Fair Use p. 100
  • Copyright Notice p. 100
  • Copyright Notice Format p. 100
  • Copyright Registration p. 101
  • Suggested Copyright Guidelines for Web Authors p. ,
  • A Note on Disclaimers p. 101
  • Creative Commons p. 1Q2
  • Appendix A Checklist Compilation p. 103
  • Appendix B Information Quality Questions Compilation p. 117
  • Appendix C Glossary p. 125
  • References p. 133
  • Bibliography p. 137
  • Index p. 143

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Subject Headings A:

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