Hello readers,
As we know, the advancement of the Web and the proliferation of electronic information, technology, and its advantages—convenience, cost, timeliness—present an appealing future. So the question is, why would libraries continue to stock their shelves with printed texts, and why should their parent institutions provide space or funding for such acquisitions? The answer is surprisingly complex, but it begins with the mission to meet the current and future user needs of scholars and academicians. Not only does print still dominate in scholarly publication, but the rapidly changing technological environment contains inherent future risks for researchers and academic libraries.
The value of print
Before we understand the need and value and identification of quality e-resources, it’s quite essential to know the value of print. The core purpose of an academic library is to serve the needs not only of today’s users but also tomorrow’s. It follows that the library must have an enduring collection of resources that is accessible and meaningful to both current and future
scholars.
For example, as the world has seen with radio after television’s debut, the creation of a new medium does not necessarily invalidate the former ones. Print is a time-tested format that seems to continue to fulfill promises that technology has yet to deliver but it should be accepted that e-resources, their use, and their reach to the quality resources play a significant role in the era of information.
Internet resources
A common fallacy is that all information is available on the Internet, whether
free or through a fee-based service. Despite tremendous strides in electronic
publishing and in digitization technologies, the majority of the world’s published
materials remain in physical or in print formats only. Since the invention of the Gutenberg press, the publishing world has produced worth of materials, and recent efforts to digitize scholarly historical publications have covered only a small proportion of these.
Materials in Electronic Format Are Not Always Free
Many times it happens that even if scholars go for internet resources, a library, even the most well-endowed one, has a finite budget, and its resources must be judiciously allocated among a range of interests and needs. Users who do not directly authorize purchases frequently overlook the cost component involved in selecting a library resource. Thus, a resource appears “free” to end-users. Such users are often unaware of any restriction to the resource until they attempt direct remote access and are prompted for a subscription or something.
For an academic library, though, in which patrons require authoritative data to support arguments, instruction, or scholarship, the greatest strength of the Internet also becomes one of its dominant liabilities. Anyone with a computer and the necessary rights to a Web server can post or alter data. This greatly increases accessibility and availability of information on a limitless range of topics, but it also means that anyone with such access can edit documents and disseminate false information, actions that cannot necessarily be detected by the user. There is no guarantee of the poster’s authority or of the authenticity of a document. Some assurance and security derive from a reputable site or designated domain, but even in such cases, the review process for documents posted is not always apparent or consistent. Unlike most printed resources (except vanity publications), many free online ones are not routinely reviewed, edited, or checked for accuracy before or after publication. Even fee-based e-resources may inaccurately report containing information, from titles or dates included to currency.
It is important to evaluate Internet resources critically, as not everything you read online is reliable and true. Anyone can create a website, which means many websites lack the quality controls (editing and fact-checking) that are used in publishing other types of resources (scholarly journals).
No. | Key points to evaluate Internet resource questions | Questions |
1. | Author | Is the name of the author on the page? |
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| Are his/her credentials listed (occupation, years of experience, position, or education)? |
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| Is the author qualified to write on the given topic? Why? |
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| Is there contact information, such as an email address, somewhere on the page? Is there a link to a homepage? |
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| Is there a link to a homepage? |
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| If there is a link to a homepage, is it for an individual or for an organization? |
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| If the author is with an organization, does it appear to support or sponsor the page? |
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| What does the domain name/URL reveal about the source of the information, if anything? |
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| If the owner is not identified, what can you tell about the origin of the site from the address?
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2 | Purpose | Knowing the motive behind the page's creation can help you judge its content. |
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| Who is the intended audience?
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| If not stated, what do you think is the purpose of the site? Is the purpose to…
Inform or Teach? Explain or Enlighten? Persuade? Sell a Product?
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3 | Objectivity
| Is the information covered in fact, opinion, or propaganda? |
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| Is the author's point-of-view objective and impartial? |
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| is the language free of emotion-rousing words and bias? |
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| Is the author affiliated with an organization? |
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| Does the author's affiliation with an institution or organization appear to bias the information? |
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| Does the content of the page have the official approval of the institution, organization, or company? |
(4) | Accuracy | Are the sources for factual information clearly listed so that the information can be verified? |
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| Is it clear who has the ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of the content of the material? |
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| Can you verify any of the information in independent sources or from your own knowledge? |
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| Has the information been reviewed or refereed? |
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| Is the information free of grammatical, spelling, or typographical errors? |
(5) | Reliability and Credibility | Why should anyone believe information from this site? |
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| Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched, or is it unsupported by evidence? |
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| Are quotes and other strong assertions backed by sources that you could check through other means? |
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| What institution (company, government, university, etc.) supports this information? |
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| If it is an institution, have you heard of it before? Can you find more information about it? |
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| Is there a non-Web equivalent of this material that would provide a way of verifying its legitimacy? |
(6) | updating | If the timeliness of the information is important, is it kept up-to-date? |
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| Is there an indication of when the site was last updated? |
(7) | links are | Are links related to the topic and useful to the purpose of the site? |
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| Are links still current, or have they become dead ends? |
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| What kinds of sources are linked? |
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| Are the links evaluated or annotated in any way? |
(8) | Final and general remarks | Be very critical of any information you find on the Web and carefully examine each site. |
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| Web pages are susceptible to both accidental and deliberate alteration and may move or disappear with no notice. |
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| Print out or download all pages you plan to use in your research so that your bibliography will be complete and accurate. |
Thank you.
