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Tutor Training Student 2 (1).doc

Evaluating Online Information and Resources

Name: Student 2

Module: Tutor Training

Tutor:

Submission Date:

Academic Integrity Statement: I have read and understood the Academic Integrity guidelines for Kaplan Open Learning and the University Of Essex, and declare that this assignment conforms to all of the rules and regulations contained therein.

Please note: the guidelines can be found in the Student Handbook (see section 6.4)

Introduction

The internet provides a vast continuum of information available at your fingertips, and with more and more people turning to commercial search engines such as Google to assist with researching everything from health issues and food recipes to scholarly journals on quantum physics; the more traditional methods of research, such as hard copy books, are fast becoming outmoded as it is hard to compete with the handiness of the internet, as Downes (2007) describes:

“A person using Google does not obtain information from a centralized source; rather, by typing a search term into the simple interface on the main page, users obtain information from anywhere around the world, from any of tens of millions of sources.” (Downes, 2007)

This shift in research preference, aptly named the ‘Google Generation’ by a number of journalists, does come with its risks however. Information can be placed on the internet by anyone, therefore it is important to acknowledge that not all information is necessarily correct and true, and the quality will range from being very good to very bad.

This report aims to inform students of the importance of evaluating online information when carrying out research to ensure it is credible, accurate and supported, before using it as supporting information to their thesis.

‘Knowledge is power’

In order to carry out effective research, a student must first appreciate the benefit of assessing the integrity of information in order to decide how or if it should be used in their work; Harris (2010) comments on how the power of knowledge is only obtained through reliable material:

“Information serves as the basis for beliefs, decisions, choices, and understanding our world. If we make a decision based on wrong or unreliable information, we do not have power -- we have defeat.” (Harris, 2010)

Effective searching

Adopting effective search techniques will keep the research focused and ensure that time is not lost by reviewing page upon page of irrelevant or poor information.

Prior to searching, a ‘pre-evaluation’ should be carried out by the student to establish what information they hope to find and why they need it, this will help to keep the results specific and the research focused.

It is also advisable that students have bias towards utilising sources which have been endorsed by well-known organisations such as Universities, the Government and corporate entities, which can include online databases, libraries and articles which are likely to have been peer reviewed prior to being published and can be deemed credible.

Evaluation techniques

In a report published by The Guardian, Wallace (n.d.) discusses how the ‘Google Generation’ lacks the basic skills required to conduct effective online research:

“Students of all ages need to learn to make independent assessments of the quality of material by looking at the authors' experience, funders, use of sources, and where published.” (Wallace, n.d.)

There are a number of guides which can assist students through the process of evaluation, such as the ‘CARS Checklist’, the ‘CAFÉ Advice’ and the ‘Internet Detective’ website.

Harris (2010) explains the ‘CARS Checklist’ in detail on his website, Virtual Salt; the acronym ‘CARS’ stands for Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness and Support. The checklist assists the student to carry out structured evaluation of information and sources which are being considered for use in research. The ‘CARS Checklist’ is explained further below:

Credibility

When assessing credibility, the student should ultimately be asking whether or not the source is trustworthy; therefore it is important to ascertain who the author is, including their experience, reputation and social standing, and also whether or not the information has been peer reviewed as part of a quality control process.

Accuracy

It is essential that information that is to be used in research is accurate to ensure the thesis can be taken seriously. The degree of accuracy can be determined by: checking the date of which the information was created, assessing how comprehensive the writer has been in order to come to their conclusions (i.e. acknowledgment of opposing arguments), and also ensuring there is a clear view of how the writer sourced their information by carrying out additional evaluation.

Reasonableness

Good information should be written fairly, without the writer pushing his own biases on the reader; therefore, an appraisal should be carried out focusing on how equitable the writer has been with regards to taking other views into consideration, how realistic the information is (perhaps simply based on personal experience), and whether or not the writer is consistent in their argument.

Support

It is extremely important to understand how a writer has obtained his information and with what information his statements and arguments are supported by; for example, checking which sources have been cited and whether or not there is corroboration elsewhere which can confirm that the information is realistic and true.

Putting Evaluation into Practice

Example No.1 – www.biz/ed.co.uk

Biz/ed is a website which is owned by CENAGE, a reputable organisation which produces educational material. The ‘About Us’ page includes information about the websites ‘Content Developers’, explaining that they have over 30 years’ experience in the educational field and actively encourage feedback to ensure the content of the website is up to date.

The target audience is students and teachers in the post-16 education sector, offering support for subjects including economics, business and marketing. The website hosts a wealth of information, and also contact details are provided for students to raise individual queries.

Biz/ed was also cited on BBC’s Business Studies website, which provides additional comfort that the site is credible as one would assume that the BBC has carried out a vetting process.

Example No.2 – www.businessballs.com

Businessballs is a learning and development resource. The site is run by Alan Chapman, and although there is not a great deal of background information which supports his experience, his name is positively mentioned on other websites, and the businessballs website is cited as being a useful resource.

The content of the website is mainly a collection of ideas, and includes an honest statement that the concept is ‘experimental’; therefore although the content is not necessarily supported by links to other sources, the ideas are realistic when assessed against personal experience and can still be considered useful when studying business theories.

Example No.3 – www.mydonut.co.uk

Mydonut is a collection of websites which individually focus on: Business Startup, I.T., Law, Marketing and Tax; which aim to provide small and medium sized enterprises with reliable information and resources to help them succeed. This includes: how-to guides, expert Q&A’s, events, case studies etc.

The Donut sites are produced by BHP Information Solutions who are reputable, well established marketing agency with a portfolio of high profile clients.

The information held on these websites has been created by bringing together the knowledge of reputable business men and women who have been deemed to be ‘experts’ in their field, all of whom can be contacted separately with individual queries or requests for support.

The news feed on each of the websites includes up to date and relevant information, including links and acknowledgment of the sources used.

Conclusion

Understanding the benefits of evaluating information which has been sourced on the internet helps to determine whether or not it should be used as part of our research. The risks of not carrying out such evaluation range from plagiarism (as sources have not been cited correctly), to part of thesis being deemed irrelevant as the information that it has been based on is either incorrect or heavily biased.

Currently, evaluation of online information is predominantly the responsibility of the searcher and therefore some degree of education should really be compulsory to ensure the pitfalls of unreliable information are avoided. Friedman (2005) makes a valid point regarding the lack automated assistance when evaluating online information:

“Whereas there are many sophisticated kinds of software available to help the average user filter out offensive sites, no such product exists to screen out unreliable sites.” (Friedman, 2005: 156)

By having a process, such as the ‘CARS Checklist’, the evaluation of information is made easier and can be utilised as either a quick or thorough check to establish whether or not the information will be useful; for example by evaluating the three websites using these guidelines, it is clear that they all have reputable backgrounds, and it is safe to assume that much of their content will have gone through some degree of editorial review and therefore safe to use.

List of References

Downes, S 2007, 'Places to Go: Google's Search Results for "Net Generation"', Innovate: Journal Of Online Education. Online via the Kaplan Online Library http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ843384&site=eds-live [accessed 21 January 2013]

Friedman, B (2005: 156) Web Search Savvy : Strategies And Shortcuts For Online Research, n.p.: Online via the Kaplan Online Library at http://search.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=119259&site=ehost-live [accessed 21 January 2013]

Harris, R (2010) Evaluating Internet Research Sources. Online at http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm [accessed 17 January 2013]

Wallace, W (n.d) Information Alert. Online at http://education.guardian.co.uk/librariesunleashed/story/0,,2274796,00.html [accessed 20 January 2013]