Academic Research and Source Evaluation
Academic research primarily focuses on reputable websites, books, journals, articles, and peer-reviewed journals for reference. Sometimes, depending on the course of study, other official materials such as policy documents, conference and government papers are used for research. Also, non-academic sources such as social media feeds, blogs, and newspapers can be used for academic work in addition to television broadcasts, images, films, and artworks. Therefore, it is necessary for the researcher to critically analyze and evaluate the resources to determine their standards of suitability for academic research. In most cases, internet sources are subject to quality control through review or editing and thus, making their evaluation necessary. Checking for currency, authority, objectivity, audience, and accuracy are the critical processes in evaluating the credibility of websites for academic reasons.
Checking Currency of Information
Checking currency of information is the first step in the process of reviewing a webpage for academic reliability. Academic theories and knowledge change over time, and it is crucial for the researcher to check whether the information provided by the website is current (Ansari & Gadge, 2012). Educational information must not have obsolete approaches or disapproved ideas, and thus the reader should check when the content was created, the most up-to-date version, and should look for the journal, database, or website that is updated regularly (Best Free Websites Committee, 2017). Notably, search filters are used to limit the contents of the site to a specific period, and if the sought material is historical, the researcher must put an appropriate data range.
Authority of the Information
Authority of the information is the next step towards checking the reliability of a web page for academic use. The researcher should find out the person who created the content, publication, or document. Internet publication is not complicated, and anybody with the ability to upload a record in a website can upload content regardless of their education level (Švenčionytė, 2012). Therefore, the researcher should check and identify the author and his or her credentials and qualifications. Besides, one has to find out whether the author of the content is affiliated with a recognized or accredited institution of higher learning or whether he or she possesses any appropriate training, knowledge, or recognition in the relevant field (John, 2012). Any information contained in the website and has no author may not be reliable for use for academic reasons.
Checking Objectivity of Information
Checking objectivity of information is the third step towards checking a webpage for academic reliability. The researcher has to find out why and when the information contained in the website was produced and ensure it does not include any influence, opinion, or bias (Gossett, 2008). Notably, the majority of the sites are available for ideological or commercial reasons, and thus the researcher has to investigate the point of view of the author and most importantly, publisher's information (John, 2012). Objectivity is assessed by checking the author's affiliations, the commercial products advertised, and whether the information provided present multiple viewpoints or considers both sides of the argument.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the information contained in the website should be current to ensure that it does not include obsolete data that is not useful in the academic world. There are many individuals with the ability to post content on the web pages and thus, it is crucial for the researcher to check the producer of the material. There are various reasons for publication of the document, and the researcher should ensure that he or she evaluates the primary purpose as to why the content of the website was produced. Mostly, a particular data may be bias or may struggle to persuade the views of the reader towards a specific thought, and thus, there is a need to check the objectivity of the website's content.
References
Ansari, S., " Gadge, J. (2012). Architecture for Checking Trustworthiness of Websites. International Journal Of Computer Applications, 44(14), 22-26. doi: 10.5120/6332-8706
Best Free Websites Committee, E. (2017). Best Free Reference Websites. Reference " User Services Quarterly, 57(1), 57. doi: 10.5860/rusq.57.1.6443
Gossett, L. (2008). OCCUPATIONAL WEBSITES AS LOCATIONS FOR REMOTE AND MOBILE WORKER CULTURE: AN EXAMINATION OF TEMPORARY WORKER WEBSITES. NAPA Bulletin, 30(1), 56-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4797.2008.00019.x
John, R. (2012). MushroomExpert.Com website [website review]. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 121(4), 446. doi: 10.22621/cfn.v121i4.499
Švenčionytė, V. (2012). Advertising on Library Websites: Comparing library websites in Europe and the USA. Libri, 55(4). doi: 10.1515/libr.2005.198
