Madison Mullikin

PED 103 105

Information Literacy Assignment
Purpose: Students ill demonstrate t!eir information literacy skills "y accessing ellness#related information
using tec!nology literacy skills to retrie$e and e$aluate e"#"ased sources%
Justification: &at!ering researc!' today' !as "ecome increasingly more con$enient due to t!e $olume of
information t!at can "e found on t!e internet% (ellness information is literally at your fingerti)s if you !a$e internet
access and a searc! engine% *oe$er' anyone can )u"lis! on t!e internet including indi$iduals' organi+ations'
educational institutions' com)anies' and go$ernment agencies ,to name a fe-% Most of t!e information )ro$ided on
t!e internet is not re$ieed or e$aluated for accuracy or credi"ility% .!e no$ice researc!er may take for granted t!at
t!e information )ro$ided is true' sim)ly "ecause it is )u"lis!ed on t!e internet% .!erefore' !a$ing t!e skills and a set
of criteria for e$aluating internet sources can transform t!e no$ice researc!er into an e/)erienced researc!er and
im)ro$e t!e 0uality and credi"ility of t!eir researc!%
Academic researc!' defined as information a))ro)riate for citing in a researc! document' re0uires t!at t!e researc!er
a))ly more stringent criteria as outlined "elo
EVALUATIVE CRITERIA FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH:
Autorit! 1 Aut!ority is t!e single most im)ortant criteria in e$aluating a e"site% If a )erson is named as aut!or'
look for credentials !ic! include ad$anced degrees' additional )u"lications' and association it! a uni$ersity or
)rofessional organi+ation% If t!ere is no indi$idual aut!or' try to esta"lis! t!e e/)ertise of t!e organi+ation or agency
1 usually on an 2A"out 3s4 )age% Look for a "oard or )anel or some )eer re$ie team or editorial structure% Look
for e$idence of researc!' and )rofessionals as mem"ers or contri"utors% (e"sites it!in domains %edu' %go$' or %org
tend to !a$e t!e strongest aut!ority5 %com' %net and ot!er commercial domains tend to !a$e less aut!ority%
Accurac! 1 Ascertain t!e correctness and relia"ility of t!e information% 6om)are t!e e"site7s content to
information in ot!er sources 1 you mig!t start it! your te/t"ook% Look for a list of 8eferences indicating t!e
sources consulted "y t!e aut!or or )u"lis!er 1 t!e most credi"le sources !a$e $erifia"le 8eferences% Look for links
to ot!er e"sites t!at meet t!ese e$aluati$e criteria and offer rele$ant information%
O"#ecti$it! 1 9actual information "ased on researc! is most relia"le% :eare of )ersonal )re;udice' emotional
a))eals or "ias fa$oring one side of an issue% Endorsement or sale of commercial )roducts s!ould "e minimal%
9unding sources s!ould "e easily determined%
Currenc! 1 (e"sites t!at are u)#to#date and fre0uently re$ised are more credi"le% 6!eck dates of )u"lication and
last#u)date% Information it!in t!e fields of medicine and science s!ould "e no more t!an < years old% Links t!at do
not ork generally are indicati$e of outdated resources and lack of e" site maintenance%
Usa"i%it! & Mo$e around t!e site to see if t!e na$igation tools en!ance or in!i"it t!e gat!ering of information% .o
"e useful for academic researc!' to)ics s!ould "e ade0uately de$elo)ed' treating issues com)re!ensi$ely% Language
s!ould "e understanda"le to an educated adult%
Part A: Te e$a%uation process: In t!e ta"le "elo you ill find a set of criteria and series of 0uestions for
eac!% 3se t!e criteria "elo to e$aluate t!e e"site assigned to you% Ma'e sure !ou are e$a%uatin( te )e"site as
a )o%e*
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Autorit!: >es ?o E/)lain res)onse
Is t!e aut!or clearly identified@ A .!e aut!orBs name is
)osted at t!e to) of
t!e articles !ic! I
re$ieed%
Is data included a"out t!e aut!or=information
)ro$ider@ ,i%e% a"out us-
A In t!e a"out us
section' t!e e"site
)ro$ides editors'
aards and
ac!ie$ements'
)olicies' etc%
Is t!e aut!or affiliated it! a rele$ant
)rofessional institution=organi+ation@
A 3nder eac! editor is
listed !is=!er
education' degrees'
and )ast and )resent
)ractices%
Is t!e aut!or 0ualified to rite on t!is su";ect@
,i%e% credentials-
A All !a$e o"tained
medical degrees%
Does t!e url ,address- gi$e you clues to t!e
aut!ority of t!e source@
A It is a %com !ic!
means it is a
commercial site'
meaning a to)
)riority of t!e site is
to sell )roducts
and=or ser$ices%
(ould you "e a"le to contact someone at t!is
e"site@
A .!ere is a contact us
section it! !ic!
you can contact a
mem"er of t!eir
customer care team%
Is t!ere e$idence of 0uality control@ ,i%e% )eer
re$ieers' editorial staff-
A >es' t!ere is an
editorial staff' all of
!ic! !a$e t!e
necessary
0ualifications to
re$ie t!e
information on t!is
site%
Accurac!: >es ?o E/)lain res)onse
Are references )ro$ided to determine !ere t!e
information as o"tained from@
A Looking t!roug!
articles and 0ui++es
and "rosing around
t!e e"site' I as
una"le to find
references from
!ic! (e"MD
found t!eir
information%
Is t!e information easily $erifia"le@ *o@ A .!ere ere no
s)ecific resources
t!at made it easy for
t!e $ieer to $erify
t!e information t!at
!e=s!e is reading%
Is t!e information de)enda"le and error#free@ A .!e articles are
re$ieed "y t!e
editorial staff' all of
!ic! are 0ualified
to correct any errors
and ensure t!at t!e
information is
correct%
Is t!ere a clear )ur)ose for t!e internet site@ A .!e )ur)ose of t!is
e"site is to gi$e
)eo)le t!e ansers
to all of t!eir
medical 0uestions%
Are links to ot!er sites rele$ant and $alua"le@ A A Some links are
$alua"le as a ay to
$erify t!at t!e
information is
credi"le% Ct!er links
are ad$ertisements
trying to sell t!e
$ieer t!eir )roduct%
E/)lain res)onse
O"#ecti$it!: >es ?o
Is t!ere e$idence t!at suggests "ias@ A
Is t!e aut!or )ro$iding facts or o)inion@ .!e aut!or is
)ro$iding facts%
Does t!e site offer anyt!ing for sale@ A
Currenc!: >es ?o E/)lain res)onse
Are you a"le to determine !en t!e information
as first ritten@
A
Are you a"le to determine !en t!e information
as first )osted to t!e e"@
A .!e dates are gi$en
of !en t!e article
as )osted to t!e
e"site' "ut t!e date
t!e article as
actually ritten is
not )ro$ided%
Are you a"le to determine !en t!e material as
last u)dated@
A .!e e"site as last
u)date 9e"ruary D'
<013%
Do all of t!e links ork and are t!ey u)#to#date@ A
Does t!e organi+ation or )erson !osting t!e
resource a))ear to !a$e a commitment to
ongoing maintenance and sta"ility of t!e
resource@
A
Usa"i%it!: >es ?o E/)lain res)onse
6an you easily read and understand t!e
information on t!e site@
A
Is t!e site organi+ed in a logical manner to
facilitate t!e location of information@
A
Does t!e site !a$e a ell#la"eled ta"le of
contents@
A
Are t!e )ages uncluttered and cleanly designed@ A .oo many links'
ad$ertisements' )o)
u)s' 0ui++es' and
)ictures%
Are t!e na$igation "uttons consistent t!roug!out
t!e e"site@
A
Are t!e links clearly and accurately descri"ed@ A
Part +: Conc%usions: :ased on t!e e$aluation )rocess' res)ond to 0uestions 1 E < found "elo%
1% (!at is your o$erall im)ression of t!e e"site you e$aluated@ Is it a source of $alid' relia"le
and credi"le information and one you could use to furt!er your general knoledge of t!e to)ic@
3se t!e information you gat!ered in t!e c!art and discuss t!e fi$e criteria to su))ort your
argument%
.!e e"site is a credi"le and relia"le source of medical information% It gi$es facts' fun 0ui++es'
links' and ti)s for any to)ic related to medicine or !ealt!%
<% Information t!at may "e included in academic researc! re0uires t!e researc!er to a))ly more
rigorous criteria t!an one mig!t use to gain some knoledge a"out a to)ic% 3sing t!e Definitions
of E$aluati$e 6riteria for Academic 8esearc! ,a"o$e- and your res)onses in t!e c!art to su))ort
your argument' discuss !et!er you feel t!is site meets sufficient criteria to cite in a researc!
)a)er or )ro;ect% (!y or !y not@
I feel like t!is e"site ould "e useful and sufficient in gat!ering information for a researc!
)a)er or )ro;ect% .!e editors !o re$ie all t!e information and articles )osted !a$e t!e
credentials to "e knoledga"le in t!e field of medicine and !ealt!% Links are gi$en to ot!er
e"sites t!at $erify t!e accreditation of t!is site%