Bibliography on evaluating web information

This bibliography, originally created by Nicole Auer for a panel discussion at a regional conference in Wisconsin, has grown with the increasing number of documents which address the problems and issues related to teaching and using critical thinking skills to evaluate Internet resources. This list is by no means comprehensive, and I would greatly appreciate any additions to this list. Please email me at rsebek@vt.edu with your suggestions. Thanks!

Internet Resources | Sample Evaluation Forms | Example Web Sites | Humorous Web Sites | Hoax Web Sites | Print Resources | Useful Listservs | Useful Books

See also Virginia Tech's Interactive Module on Evaluating Internet Resources

Internet Resources

Note: dates given in brackets indicate when each site was visited.

• Alexander, Jane and Marsha Tate. "Teaching Critical Evaluation Skills for World Wide Web Resources." http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm Wolfgram Memorial Library. Widener University. (see also article by Marsha Tate and Jane Alexander below). [24 October 1996]
• Argus Associates, Inc. "Clearinghouse: Information: Rating System." http://www.clearinghouse.net/ratings.html [29 April 1997]
• Barker, Joe. "Evaluating Web Pages: Techniques to Apply & Questions to Ask (Why and How)." UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html
  Also check out his "Old Evaluate.html" page with rationale and sample web sites at http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/EvaluateWhy.html [31 December 2002]
  See Sample Evaluation Forms for one done by Joe at UC-Berkeley.
• Beck, Susan. "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: or Why It's a Good Idea to Evaluate Web Sources." New Mexico State University Libraries. http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/eval.html [29 July 1997]
• Brandt, D. Scott. "Evaluating Information on the Internet." http://thorplus.lib.purdue.edu/~techman/evaluate.htm [28 January 1998] (see article below)
• Chabot, Elliot. "The Compleat Internet Researcher: The Origin of Information Errors." http://www.aallnet.org/products/crab/quality.htm [30 July 1998]
  * SEE ALSO the link on this page to the excerpt from Josh Blackman's book, How to use the Internet for legal research (1996).
• Ciolek, T. Matthew and Irena Goltz (maintainers). "WWW Virtual Library: Information Quality." http://www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-InfoQuality.html [4 April 1996]
• Ciolek, T. Matthew. "The Six Quests for The Electronic Grail: Current Approaches to Information Quality in WWW Resources." http://www.ciolek.com/PAPERS/QUEST/QuestMain.html [26 June 1996]
• Ciolek, T. Matthew. "Today's WWW, Tomorrow's MMM: The Specter of multi-media mediocrity." Educom Review, 32(3) May/June 1997. http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/review/reviewArticles/32323.html [2 July 1997]
• Consumer WebWatch. How Do People Evaluate a Web Site's Credibility? Results from a Large Study. A Consumer WebWatch report prepared by Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, Stanford University. Published October 29, 2002. http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/news/report3_credibilityresearch/stanfordPTL_abstract.htm
  Read abstract and link to read 98-page document online or download via PDF.
  See also Consumer WebWatch's first research report, A Matter of Trust: What Users Want From Web Sites, prepared by Princeton Survey Research Associates (Washington, DC), at http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/news/1_abstract.htm with links to online text and pdf document. Published April 12, 2002.
  See also Consumer WebWatch's report, Experts vs. Online Consumers: A Comparative Credibility Study of Health and Finance Web Sites,prepared by Sliced Bread Design, LLC (San Jose, CA), at http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/news/report3_credibilityresearch/slicedbread_abstract.htm with links to online text and pdf document. Published October 29, 2002.
• December, John. "Challenges for Web Information Providers." Computer-Mediated Communication Magazine vol 1, no.6 (1994) pg. 13. http://sunsite.unc.edu/cmc/mag/1994/oct/webip.html [5 December 1995]
• Dunlap, Steven. "2+2=4: Steven Dunlap's Intellectual Freedom page" http://internet.ggu.edu/university_library/if/hoax.html [15 January 1999]
• "Evaluating Internet Resources at Lake Forest College" http://www.lib.lfc.edu/internetsearch/evalweb.html (includes examples of good and questionable sites) [15 January 1999]
• "Evaluating Internet Resources: Table of Contents" http://www.snc.edu/library/eval1.htm St. Norbert College Library [15 January 1999]
• Fenton, Serena. "Information Quality: is the truth out there?" http://ils.unc.edu/~fents/310/ [05 January 1998] (Note: an edited version will appear as a chapter in: Bert Dempsey and Paul Jones (eds.) Internet Issues and Applications, 1997-98 Scarecrow Press, 1998.)
• Grassian, Esther. "Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources." http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/index.htm [29 March 1996]
• Grassian, Esther and D. Zwemer. "Hoax? Scholarly Research? Personal Opinion? You Decide!" http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/hoax/index.htm [28 January 1998]
• Grassian, Esther. "Thinking Critically about Discipline-Based World Wide Web Resources." http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/discipline.htm [28 August 2000]
• Harris, Robert. "Evaluating Internet Research Sources." http://www.virtualsalt.com/evalu8it.htm Version date: Nov. 17, 1997. Formerly at http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/R_Harris/evalu8it.htm [26 April 2002]
• Hartman, Karen and Ernest Ackermann. "Meeting the Challenge of Critically Evaluating Information on the Internet and the World Wide Web." http://webliminal.com/khartman/educom98.html
  Presented at Educom 98 on October 15, 1998 and regularly updated. [29 October 2001].
• Hasulo, Susanne. "Defining Information Literacy." Information Highways Magazine 9(5) July - August 2002.
  http://www.informationhighways.net/mag/mcurrent/02aug03.html [02 Aug 2002]
• Henderson, John and M. Poulin. "T is for Thinking" http://www.ithaca.edu/library/Training/hott.html; Ithaca College Library. [23 January 1997]
• "How to Evaluate a Web Page" http://manta.library.colostate.edu/howto/evalweb.html; [September 1999]
• Internet Healthcare Coalition. "eHealth Code of Ethics." http://www.ihealthcoalition.org/ethics/ehcode.html [30 July 2002]
• Jacobson, Trudi and Laura Cohen. "Evaluating Internet Sites." http://library.albany.edu/internet/evaluate.html [28 January 1998] (see article below)
• Janicke Hinchliffe, Lisa. "Resource Selection and Information Evaluation." http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~janicke/Evaluate.html [4 December 1995]
• Jones, Debra. "Critical Thinking in an Online World." http://www.library.ucsb.edu/untangle/jones.html[05 July 1996]
• Kirk, Elizabeth E. "Evaluating Information Found on the Internet." http://www.library.jhu.edu/elp/useit/evaluate/index.html [05 July 1996]
  The document now includes a link to a new page entitled "Information and Its Counterfeits: Propaganda, Misinformation and Disinformation." [21 May 2002]
• Landsberger, Joe. "Evaluating Website Content." http://www.iss.stthomas.edu/webtruth/evaluate.htm University of St. Thomas' (St. Paul, MN) ISS Learning Center. [December 2, 1999]
• Larsen, Lida L. "Information Literacy: the Web is not an Encyclopedia" http://www.oit.umd.edu/units/web/literacy/ University of Maryland, College Park. [16 October 1998]
• Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) Research Committee. "Library Instruction Tutorials: Guides to Internet and Evaluation Resources." http://diogenes.baylor.edu/Library/LIRT/lirtnet.html [24 November 1997]
• McLachlan, Karen. "Teacher's Cyberguide" http://www.cyberbee.com/guide1.html [28 January 1998]
• Media Awareness Network (Canada). "Web Awareness: Knowing the Issues." http://www.webawareness.org/ (information to help teachers, parents, and librarians teach kids to search, evaluate, and use Internet information more carefully) [23 Oct 2001]
• Memorial University, Newfoundland, Canada. "Internet Source Validation Project." http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/~dfurey/validate/validate.html [05 July 1996]
• Norem, Monica. "Evaluating Internet Sites-Quick Guide." http://nhclibrary.nhmccd.edu/research/steps/evalwebsites.html North Harris College Library. [13 October 1998]
• "How Academic Librarians Can Influence Students' Web-based Information Choices." OCLC's White Paper on the Information Habits of College Students, June 2002. http://www2.oclc.org/oclc/pdf/printondemand/informationhabits.pdf [01 Jul 2002]
• Oliver, Kevin. Evaluating the Quality of Internet Information. Virginia Tech. http://www.edtech.vt.edu/edtech/kmoliver/webeval/webeval.html [17 October 2000].
• Oppenheimer, Todd. "The Computer Delusion." The Atlantic Monthly,July 1997. http://www.TheAtlantic.com/issues/97jul/computer.htm [9 July 1997]
• Ormondroyd, Joan and Michael Engle and Tony Cosgrave. "How to Critically Analyze Information Sources." http://www.library.cornell.edu/okuref/research/skill26.htm [21 December 1995]
• Pacifici, Sabrina I. "Getting It Right: Verifying Sources on the Net." http://www.llrx.com/features/verifying.htm [26 April 2002]
• Pew Internet and American Life Project:
  "Part Four: Evaluating the quality of health information." http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/reports.asp?Report=59&Section=ReportLevel1&Field=Level1ID&ID=265
  from Vital Decisions: How Internet users decide what information to trust when they or their loved ones are sick
  http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=59 (may 29, 2002) [30 July 2002]
  (VERY interesting statistics, such as "72% of health seekers say you can believe all or most of the health information online)
  "Research for papers and projects-From Dewey Decimal to dot-com." (part 3: Teens and Their Schools)
  http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/reports.asp?Report=36&Section=RortLevel2&Field=Level2ID&ID=221
  part of Teenage Life Online: The rise of the instant-message generation and the Internet's impact on friendships and family relationships http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=36 (VERY VERY interesting statistics!!) [30 July 2002]
• "Quality Selection Criteria for Subject Gateways" http://sosig.ac.uk/desire/qindex.html Produced by the European Union-funded DESIRE Project.
  [15 January 1999]
• Rettig, James. "Putting the Squeeze on the Information Firehose: The Need for Neteditors and Netreviewers." http://www.swem.wm.edu/firehose.html [22 November 1995]
• Rettig, James. "Bridging the Quality Gap" http://www.swem.wm.edu/Conferences/JR/alajun97.html; College of William and Mary [9 July 1997]
• Richmond, Betsy. "Ten C's for Evaluating Internet Resources" http://www.uwec.edu/Admin/Library/Guides/tencs.html University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. [2 July 1997]
• Schrock, Kathleen. "The ABCs of Web Site Evaluation." http://kathyschrock.net/abceval/ [25 April 2003]
  (includes sample web sites to use in instruction and other useful resources authored by Schrock).
• Schrock, Kathleen. "Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: Critical Evaluation Surveys" http://discoveryschool.com/schrockguide/eval.html; Nathaniel H. Wixon Middle School, South Dennis, MA. Now hosted by the Discover Channel School web site [23 March 1999]
  (see also article listed below under author's name)
• Schrock, Kathleen. "Teaching Media Literacy in the Age of the Internet." http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/pdf/weval.pdf. Part of the Discovery Channel site listed above.
  [25 April 2003]
• Schrock, Kathleen. "Evaluation of World Wide Web Resources: An Annotated Bibliography." ERIC Digest EDO-IR-98-02. http://ericit.org/digests/EDO-IR-1998-02.shtml
• Shapiro, Jeremy and Shelley Hughes. "Information Literacy as a Liberal Art: Enlightment proposals for a new curriculum." Educom Review, 31(2) March/April 1996. http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/review/reviewArticles/31231.html [2 July 1997]
• Shuirman, J. "Evaluating Internet Sites." http://libwww.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/html/about/jsworksheet-3.html [December 2, 1999]
• Smith, Alastair. "Criteria for Evaluation of Internet Information Resources." http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/index.htm [08 May 1996]
• Smith, Alastair (maintainer). "Evaluation of Information Sources." (Part of WWWVL-InfoQuality) http://www.vuw.ac.nz/~agsmith/evaln/evaln.htm [08 May 1996]
• Smith, Alastair G. "Testing the Surf: Criteria for Evaluating Internet Information Resources." http://info.lib.uh.edu/pr/v8/n3/smit8n3.html The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 8(3),1997. [11 September 1997]
• Smith, Charles and Chris Phillips. "Are Our Academic Libraries Ready for the Internet Generation?" Cause/Effect, 22(1) 1999. http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cem991a.html
• Solock, Jack. "The Internet: Window to the World or Hall of Mirrors? Information Quality in the Networked Environment."
  http://scout.bilkent.edu.tr/toolkit/enduser/archive/1996/euc-9611.html Internic News, November 1996 [21 July 1996]
• Sonoma State University. "Critical Thinking Community." (Subject directory of resources about critical thinking) http://www.criticalthinking.org/ [24 May 1996]
• Stepno, Bob and Bob Henshaw. "Quality of Information...and Disinformation Online." http://www.stepno.com/unc/disinfo.htm [12 April 1995] SEE ALSO his "Java/Disinfomocracy afterthoughts" at http://www.stepno.com/unc/javadis.html [28 August 2000]
• Stepp, Laura Sessions. "Point. Click. Think?" Washingtonpost.com July 16, 2002; Page C01
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9729-2002Jul15.html [16 Jul 2002]
• Tillman, Hope. "Evaluating Quality on the Net." http://www.hopetillman.com/findqual.html [16 March 1998]
• Tyburski, Genie. "Publishers Wanted, No Experience Necessary: Information Quality on the Web." Law Library Resource Exchange June 24, 1997. http://www.llrx.com/columns/quality.htm [30 July 1998]
• Ury, Connie. "Evaluating Web Resources." Owens Library, Northwest Missouri State University. http://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/search/evaluate.htm [30 April 2002]
• Ury, Connie. "Evaluating Web Sites." (the ADAPT approach) Owens Library, Northwest Missouri State University. http://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/search/evaluate.htm [30 April 2002]
• Winter, Kevin. "Evaluating Internet "Research"." http://www.vmi.edu/library/kw/evaluate.htm [13 August 1998]
• Worsfold, Emma, Debra Hiom, and Marianne Peereboom. "Internet Detective." http://sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html A free online tutorial requiring registration.
  Produced by the DESIRE Project of the EU and developed by staff at The Institute for Learning and Research Technology (ILRT) at the University of Bristol. [08 September1998]
• Zald, Anne and Andrea Bartelstein. "Teaching Students to Think Critically about Internet Resources: Community College Symposium on Teaching, Learning, and Technology. University of Washington, June 17-21, 1996." http://faculty.washington.edu/zald/neteval.htm [05 July 1996]

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Sample Evaluation Forms

• Barker, Joe. "Web Page Evaluation Worksheet. UC-Berkeley Teaching Library. " http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/EvalForm.pdf [26 Feb 2002]
• Burns, Sarah. "Web Site Evaluation Worksheet." Pace University. http://www.pace.edu/library/instruct/webevalworksheet.htm [6 May 2002]
• DeArmond, Celita. "Internet 101/102: Untangling the Web." University of Texas- San Antonio. http://www.lib.utsa.edu/Instruction/web/webeval.html [30 April 2002]
• Website Evaluation Form. http://www.library.kent.edu/internet/evalform.html (several formats available). Kent State University. [30 April 2002]
• Schrock, Kathy. 1996. "Critical Evaluation of a Web Site: Secondary School Level." Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators, DiscoverySchool.com. http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/evalhigh.html [23 March 1999]
• Schroeder, Randall. "The Virtual Earned Scholarly Average." Wartburg University. http://www.wartburg.edu/library/vesa.html [30 April 2002]
• Ury, Connie and Lori Mardis. "Evaluating Websites: PART of the Research Process." http://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/courses/evaluation/edeval.htm [30 April 2002]
• Videon, Carol. "WWW Checklist." Delaware County (PA) Community College. http://www.dccc.edu/academics/faculty/cvideon/wwweval.htm and evalform4web.pdf (revised by Nicole Auer of Virginia Tech 26 Feb 2002)
• Information Quality (IQ) Tool (health information) http://hitiweb.mitretek.org/iq/default.asp [30 July 2002]
• Consumer Health Web Site Evaluation Checklist (patient-oriented)
  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~pfa/pro/courses/EvalPtEd.pdf [30 July 2002]
• Foster-Harper, Susan. "Evaluation Form for Student Use." University of Charleston (WV) Library. http://www.uchaswv.edu/library/evalform.doc
  File located at http://www.uchaswv.edu/library/instruct/criteria.html [02 Aug 2002]

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Example Web Sites

The following web sites can be used to demonstrate to students (high school, college) the need for evaluating web resources. Criteria, suggestions, and guidelines found in the above web sites and print articles listed below can help students form their own opinions about the validity of these pages.

If you have comments or suggestions for other sites to list here, please email me at rsebek@vt.edu. Thanks!

Real sites (without any judgement made here) that help illustrate the various ways and reasons for evaluating Internet sites- mostly objectivity/bias, authority, and accuracy:

• Academic Integrity.com http://www.academicintegrity.com
• Halloween http://www.jeremiahproject.com/halloween.html (thanks to John Maxstadt at Texas A&M University for that one- posted on BI-L digest # 369)
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome http://www.wineinstitute.org/res_ed/health_research/fas.html (thanks to Kathy Holmes at Lesley University for this one- posted on BI-L digest #370)
• Institute for Historical Review's "The 'Problem of the Gas Chambers'" http://ihr.org/leaflets/gaschambers.html
• FORCES USA (Fight Ordinances & Restrictions to Control & Eliminate Smoking) http://www.forces.org/index.htm
• Martin Luther King, Jr. web site http://www.martinlutherking.org
• Human Nutrition Research http://www.beef.org/dsp/dsp_locationContent.cfm?locationId=13
• VirusMyth: A Rethinking AIDS website http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/
• Aspartame Toxicity Information Center http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/
• Californians for Ferret Legalization http://www.ferretnews.org/ and their Misinformation of the Week series (thanks to Susan Beck at UNM).
• The Flat-out Truth: Earth Orbits? Moon Landings? A Fraud! Says This Prophet http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm
• Burger King™ Introduces Left-Handed Whopper™ http://www.burgerking.com/company/press_releases%5C04_31_98a.htm and then HAPPY APRIL FOOL'S DAY! BURGER KING™ Pulls Joke on American Public; Left-Handed WHOPPER™ a Hoax http://www.burgerking.com/company/press_releases%5C04_01_98a.htm
• Cutting Edge? Or Over the Edge? (pages covering various myths, theories, etc. Thanks to SDSU's Sample Web Documents list - see below) http://www.hist.unt.edu/09w-ar7.htm [31 December 2002]
• "Cool to be Real" http://www.cool-2b-real.com/ (thanks to Ellen Krupar at Virginia Tech) [18 March 2003]

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Humorous web sites (believe it, or not...)

• Strawberry Pop-Tart Blow-Torches http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/~pmichaud/toast/ (thanks to Walter Minkel's article- see above)
• Fun with Grapes- a Case Study http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/~pmichaud/grape/
• Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie: An Effective, Low-Cost Solution to Combating Mind-Control http://zapatopi.net/afdb.html (thanks to Walter Minkel's article- see above)
• Voyage of the Peep-o-nauts http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast01apr_1m.htm (thanks to Ellen Krupar at Virginia Tech)
• Peep Research http://www.peepresearch.org and CNN's report, "Scientists: Soft, chewy Peeps nearly indestructible" at http://www5.cnn.com/US/9804/10/fringe/peep.science/index.html (thanks to Ellen Krupar at Virginia Tech)
• Peer Research: a Study of Small Fluffy Creatures and Library Usage. http://www.millikin.edu/staley/fluff/peep_research.html Susan Avery and Jennifer Masciadrelli, Staley Library, Millikin University. [24 April 2003]
• Lord of the Peeps: Fellowship of the Peeps http://www.perpetualstroll.org/lotp/lotp/fotp.html (thanks to Ellen Krupar, Virginia Tech) [21 April 2003]
• Bunny Survival Test Page http://www.pcola.gulf.net/~irving/bunnies/ (as in marshmellow bunnies) (thanks to Ellen Krupar at Virginia Tech)
• A Nauga Story (i.e. Naugahyde) http://www.nauga.com/nauga1.html (thanks to Ellen Krupar at Virginia Tech)
• The T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project http://www.twinkiesproject.com/ (thanks to Connie Ury at NW Missouri State Univ.)
• Dihydrogen Monoxide http://www.dhmo.org/
• California's Velcro Crop http://www.home.inreach.com/kumbach/velcro.html
• Mankato, MN home page http://lme.mankato.msus.edu/mankato/mankato.html
• Feline Reactions to Bearded Men http://www.improb.com/airchives/classical/cat/cat.html
• Dream Tech International http://www.d-b.net/dti/
• AIDS Facts http://147.129.226.1/library/research/AIDSFACTS.htm
• White House http://www.whitehouse.net/ (vs. the Official web site http://www.whitehouse.gov/ )
• The First Male Pregnancy http://www.malepregnancy.com/ - made possible by the GenoChoice Institute at http://www.genochoice.com/ - (thanks to BethAnn Zambella of Wellesley College)
• Brain Transplantation http://216.247.9.207/ny-best.htm(thanks to Paul Barron, Rockbridge Co. Schools, VA)
• Ova Prima Foundation http://www.ovaprima.org/ (thanks to Ken Winters at VMI)
• Bonsai Kitten http://www.BonsaiKitten.com/ (purely a spoof- thanks to Ken Winters at VMI for the link)
• Golden Gate Tunnel http://www.goldengatetunnel.com/ (thanks to Kathy Schrock) [30 April 2002]
• Moonbeam Enterprises and Lunar Travel Agency. http://www.dreamweaverstudios.com/moonbeam/moon.htm (thanks to Kathy Schrock) [30 April 2002]
• Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus.html (thanks to Kathy Schrock) [30 April 2002].
• Annals of Improbable Research http://www.improb.com/ (thanks to Celita DeArmand at UT-San Antonio) and the Taxonomy of Barney http://www.improb.com/airchives/paperair/barney.htm (thanks to Ken Winters at VMI).
• "Factual Error Found on Internet." The Onion, May 22, 2002 http://www.theonion.com/onion3819/factual_error_found.html [23 May 2002] (look through stories here for possible uses in the classroom)
• "Psychosocial Parameters of Internet Addiction." http://library.albany.edu/briggs/addiction.html
  (Thanks to Laura Cohen, SUNY-Albany.) [31 December 2002].
• "New Invention Allows Humans to Live Forever." http://www.alexchiu.com/eternallife/index.html
  [31 December 2002].
• The World's First Transgenic Mouse with Human Intelligence. RYT Hospital. http://www.rythospital.com/clyven/ (Thanks to Red Wassenich at Austin Comm. College)
  [28 Feb 2003]
• Sellafield Zoo http://www.brookview.karoo.net/Sellafield_Zoo/ [31 March 2003]
• "The (Costa Rica) Flesh Eating Banana Bacteria Hoax" http://www.stiller.com/banana.htm and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's response: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r2k0128.htm. All from Stiller Research's web site on virus hoaxes http://www.stiller.com/hoaxes.htm [02 Aug 2002]
• British Stick Insect Foundation http://www.brookview.karoo.net/Stick_Insects/ [31 March 2003]
• WingMakers.com http://www.wingmakers.com/ [31 March 2003]
• National Driver's License Records Bureau http://www.license.shorturl.com/ (thanks to Brenda Hendricks at Virginia Tech)

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Hoax web sites:

• HoaxBusters http://HoaxBusters.ciac.org/ CIAC (Computer Incident Advisory Capability), Office of the Chief Information Office, Department of Energy
• Snopes.com's "Urban Legends Reference Page" http://www.snopes2.com/
• Snopes.com's "Tales of the Wooden Spoons" at http://www.snopes2.com/spoons
• About.com's "Urban Legends and Folklore" page http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/mbody.htm and their "Current Netlore A to Z List" at http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blxatoz.htm
• About.com's Virus Hoaxes and Myths page http://antivirus.about.com/cs/hoaxes/
• Vmyths.com http://www.vmyths.com/ (great dry humor)
• Vmyths.com's "Computer Viruses and False Authority Syndrome" http://www.vmyths.com/fas/fas1.cfm
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors" http://www.cdc.gov/hoax_rumors.htm
• Quackwatch.com http://www.quackwatch.com/
• The Museum of Hoaxes http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/ which has many goodies!

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Be sure to also check out the great list of example web documents at San Diego State University Library's web site: http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/evaluate/samples.shtml

Print Resources

• Arnold, Judith and Elaine Anderson Jayne. "Dangling by a slender thread: the lessons and implications of teaching the world wide web to freshmen." Journal of Academic Librarianship,January 1998, pages 43-52.
• Auer, Nicole. "Bibliography on Evaluating Internet Resources." Emergency Librarian 25(5) May-June 1998, pgs 23-24.
• Barron, Ann and Karen Ivers. "An Internet Research Model" IN: Call of the North, NECC '96. Proceedings of the Annual National Educational Computing Conference (17th, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 11-13, 1996) pgs 26-29. ERIC DOCUMENT: ED398880.
• Blandy, Susan Griswold and Patricia O'Brien Libutti. "As the Cursor Blinks: Electronic Scholarship and Undergraduates in the Library." Library Trends 44(2) Fall 1995, pgs 279-305.
• Bodi, Sonia. "Scholarship or Propaganda: How Can Librarians Help Undergraduates Tell the Difference?" Journal of Academic Librarianship January 1995, pgs 21-25.
• Brandt, D. Scott. "Evaluating Information on the Internet." (Techman's Tech Page) Computers in Libraries 16(5) May 1996, pgs 44-47. (see internet site above)
• Brandt, D. Scott. "Relevancy and Searching the Internet." Computers in Libraries 16(8) Sept. 1996, pgs 35-38.
• Brandt, D. Scott. "Constructivism: Teaching for Understanding of the Internet." Communications of the ACM 40(10) October 1997, pgs 112-117.
• Borrowman, Shane. "Critical Surfing: Holocaust Denial and Credibility on the Web." College Teaching 47.2 (Spring 1999), pgs 44-47.
• Burbules, Nicholas. "Paradoxes of the Web: the Ethical Dimensions of Credibility." Library Trends 49 (3) Winter 2001, pgs 441-453.
• Connell, H. Tschera and Jennifer E. Tipple. "Testing the Accuracy of Information on the World Wide Web Using the Alta Vista Search Engine." Reference & User Services Quarterly. Summer 1999, pgs 360-368.
• Collins, Boyd. "WebWatch" column. Library Journal. February 1, 1996, pgs 32
• Collins, Boyd. "Beyond Cruising: Reviewing." Library Journal February 15, 1996, pgs 122-124.
• Cottrell. Janet R. "Teaching Students to Evaluate Web Sources More Critically: Implications from a Faculty Workshop." College & Research Libraries News 62(2) February 2001, pg 141-143, 186.
• Cunningham, Sally Jo. "Teaching Students to Critically Evaluate the Quality of Internet Research Resources" SIGCSE Bulletin June 1997, pgs.31-34, 38.
• Doran, Kirk. "The Internot: Helping Library Patrons Understand What the Internet Is Not (Yet)." Computers in Libraries June 1995, pgs 22-26.
• Drobnicki, J.A. and Asaro, R. (2001). "Historical fabrications on the Internet: recognition, evaluation, and use in bibliographic instruction." Reference Librarian, v.74, p. 121-64.
• Fitzgerald, Mary Ann. Critical Thinking: Tools for Internet Information Evaluation.ERIC Document number: ED412944, 1997. Also In: Information Rich but Knowledge Poor? Emerging Issues for Schools and Libraries Worldwide. Research and Professional Papers Presented at the Annual Conference of the International Association of School Librarianship Held in Conjunction with the Association for Teacher-Librarianship in Canada (26th, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 6-11, 1997); see IR 056 586.
• Fitzgerald, Mary Ann. "Misinformation on the Internet: Applying Evaluation Skills to Online Information." Emergency Librarian 24(3) January-February 1997, pgs 9-14.
• Fitzgerald, Mary Ann. Galloway, Chad. "Relevance Judging, Evaluation, and Decision Making in Virtual Libraries: A Descriptive Study." Journal of the American Society for Information Science & Technology. 52(2) Oct 2001, pgs 989-1010.
• Fox, Lynne M. "Some On-line (and Off-line) Resources for Evaluating Information on the World Wide Web." Colorado Libraries Summer 1996, pgs 46-47.
• Fritch, John W. and Robert L. Cromwell. "Evaluating Internet Resources: Identity, Affiliation, and Cognitive Authority in a Networked World." Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, vol. 52, no. 6 (Apr 2001), pg 499-507.
• Gardner, Susan A. and Hiltraut H. Benham and Bridget M. Newell. "Oh, what a tangled web we've woven! Helping students evaluate sources." English Journal, vol. 89, no. 1 (Sept 1999), pg 39-44.
• Garman, Nancy. "When Online Is Not Enough." Online May/June 1995, pgs 6-7.
• Garnes, David and Carolyn Virginia Mills. "Finding and Evaluating Health Sources on the Internet: An Overview." The Reference Librarian no. 74 (2001) p. 177-86. [02 Aug 2002]
• Gorman, Michael. "The Corruption of Cataloging." Library Journal September 15, 1995, pgs 32-34.
• Grimes, Deborah J. and Carl H. Boening. "Worries with the Web: A Look at Student Use of Web Resources Among Students in a Junior-College English Class." College & Research Libraries 62(1) January 2001, pgs 11-23.
• Hahn, Susan E. "Internet: Let the User Beware." Reference Services Review 25 (2) 1997, pgs 7-13.
• Hernon, Peter. "Disinformation and Misinformation through the Internet: Findings of an Exploratory Study." Government Information Quarterly 12 (2) 1995, pgs 133-139.
• Herring, Susan Davis. "Faculty Acceptance of the World Wide Web for Student Research." College & Research Libraries 62(3) May 2001, pgs. 251-258.
• Jacobson, Trudi and Laura Cohen. "Teaching Students to Evaluate Internet Sites." The Teaching Professor 11(7), August/September 1997, page 4.
• Janes, Joseph W. and Louis B. Rosenfeld. "Networked Information Retrieval and Organization: Issues and Questions." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47(9) September1997, pgs 711-715.
• Jurek, Richard J. "Don't Be Fooled Again" Internet World 8(4) April 1997, pgs 47-50. (discusses misinformation on the Internet and advises Business to critically assess information found there)
• Kapoun, Jim. "Teaching Undergrads WEB Evaluation." College and Research Libraries News 59(7) July/August 1998, pgs 522-523. (also at the ACRL website at http://www.ala.org/acrl/undwebev.html [31 December 2002].
• King, Angelynn. "Caveat Surfer: End-User Research on the Web." Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery, and Information Supply , vol.8 no.1, 1997, pgs 53-60.
• Kirkwood, Hal P., Jr. "Beyond Evaluation: A model for cooperative evaluation of Internet resources." Online, 22(4) July/August 1998, pgs 66-72.
• Kirkwood, Hal P., Jr. "Bookmark Central" Online July/August 1998, pgs 82-84. (may be a regular column)
• Konrad, Lee and James Stemper. "Same Game, Different Name: Demystifying Internet Instruction." Research Strategies , vol.14 no.1, Winter 1996, pgs 4-21.
• Lederer, Naomi. "New form(at): using the Web to teach research and critical thinking skills." Reference Services Review, vol.28, no.2, 2000, pages 130-153.
• Makulowich, John. "Quality Control on the Net." Database February 1996, pgs 93-94.
• Martorana, Janet and Carol Doyle. "Computers On, Critical Thinking Off: Challenges of Teaching in the Electronic Environment." Research Strategies 14 (3) Summer 1996, pgs 184-191.
• McBride, Kari Boyd and Ruth Dickstein. "The Web Demands Critical Reading by Students." Chronicle of Higher Education 44(28) March 20, 1998, pg B6.
• McKenzie, Jamie. "Making WEB Meaning." Educational Leadership 54(3) November 1996, pgs 30-32. (discusses projects for middle school classes)
• Miller, William. "Troubling Myths about On-Line Information." Chronicle of Higher Education 43(47) August 1, 1997, pg. A44.
• Minkel, Walter. "Burden of Spoof: Teach Students to Evaluate the Internet with Bogus Web Sites." School Library Journal46(10) October 2000, pg. 49.
• Morrison, James L. and Linda L. Stein. "Assuring integrity of information utility in cyber-learning formats." Reference Services Review,vol. 27, no.4, 1999, pg 317-326.
• Nowicki, Stacy. "Information Literacy and Critical Thinking in the Electronic Environment." Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems 13 (1) Winter 1999, pgs 25-28.
• Oberman, Cerise. "Avoiding the Cereal Syndrome, or Critical Thinking in the Electronic Environment." Library Trends 39 (3) Winter 1991, pgs 189-202.
• Oberman, Cerise. "Unmasking Technology: A Prelude to Teaching." Research Strategies 13 (1) Winter 1995, pgs 34-39.
• Pack, Thomas. "Use it or Lose it: Jakob Nielsen Champions Content Usability." EContent 24(4) June 2001, pgs 44-46.
• Page, Mary and Martine Kesselman. "Teaching the Internet: Challenges and Opportunities" Research Strategies 12 (3) Summer 1994, pgs 157-167.
• Pagell, Ruth A. "Quality and the Internet: An Open Letter." Online July/August 1995, pgs 7-9.
• Pask, Judith and Carl E. Snow. "Undergraduate Instruction and the Internet." Library Trends 44(2) Fall 1995, pgs 306-317.
• Pratt, Gregory F., Patrick Flannery, and Cassandra Perkins. "Guidelines for Internet Resource Selection." College and Research Libraries News March 1996, pg 135.
• Rader, Hannelore, Billie Reinhart, and Gary Thompson. Evaluating Information: A Basic Checklist. (Item number A127). Chicago: ALA, 1990.
• Rettig, James. "Beyond "Cool": Analog Models for Reviewing Digital Resources." Online 20 (5) Sept/Oct 1996, pgs 52-64.
• Rosenfeld, Louis B. "Guides, Clearinghouses, and Value-Added Repackaging: Some Thoughts on How Librarians Can Improve the Internet." Reference Services Review Winter 1994, pgs 11-16.
• Rothenberg, David. "How the Web Destroys the Quality of Students' Research Papers." Chronicle of Higher Education August 15, 1997 pg A44.
• Sabol, Laurie. "The Value of Student Evaluation of a Web Site" Research Strategies 16(1) 1998, pgs 79-84.
• Safford, Barbara Ripp. "The Problem with the Internet: It is NOT the Information Highway." School Library Media Activities Monthly 13(3) November 1996, pgs 42-43.
• Safford, Barbara Ripp, and others. "What Do We Teach about the World Wide Web?." School Library Media Activities Monthly 13(4) December 1996, pgs 44-46.
• Santa Vicca, Edmund F. "The Internet as a Reference and Research Tool: A Model for Educators." The Reference Librarian , no. 41-42 (1994), pgs 225-236.
• Scholz-Crane, Ann. "Evaluating the Future: A Preliminary Study of the Process of How Undergraduate Students Evaluate Web Sources." RSR; Reference Services Review 26(3/4) 1998, pgs. 53-60.
• Schrock, Kathleen. "It Must Be True. I Found It On The Internet." Technology Connection 3(5) September 1996, pgs 12-14. (includes a K-12 lesson plan for teaching evaluation skills and a useful checklist. See also author's web site listed above.)
• Skov, Annette. "Separating the wheat from the chaff: Internet Quality." Database August/September 1998, pgs 38-40.
• Smith, Alastair G. "Testing the Surf: Criteria for Evaluating Internet Information Resources." The Public-Access Computer Systems Review 8(3) 1997, no pagination info available. (see Internet version above).
• Stoll, Clifford. Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway. New York: Doubleday, 1995.
• Sweetland, James H. "Reviewing the World Wide Web-- Theory versus Reality: Three Sets of Web Site Evaluation Criteria Compared with Web Reviews from Choice magazine." Library Trends 48(4) Spring 2000, pgs 748-68.
• Tate, Marsha and Jane Alexander. "Teaching Critical Evaluation Skills for World Wide Web Resources." (includes informational Web page checklist) Computers in Libraries 16(10) Nov-Dec 1996, pgs 49-54.
• Valenza, Joyce Kasman. "Evaluating Web Resources: Garbage In, Garbage Out!" www.classroom.com Newsletter February 2002, pgs 4-7.
• Vendetti, Gus. "Critic's Choice: Six Sites That Rate the Web." Internet World8(1) January 1997, pgs 82-96.
• Weiler, A. (2001). "Two-year college freshmen and the Internet: do they really "know all that stuff?"" portal: Libraries and the Academy, v. 1, p. 161-67.

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Useful Listservs

NETTRAIN: send email to listserv@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu
subscribe NETTRAIN <your name>

Info-Quality-L: send email to mailto:majordomo@coombs.anu.edu.au
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NOTE: not sure if still active as of January 1999

Web4Lib: send email to listproc@library.berkeley.edu
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ILI-L (Information Literacy Instruction Listserv): To subscribe send the text:
subscribe ILI-L your firstname yourlastname
in the body of the message to: listproc@ala.org
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Useful Books

• Alexander, Janet E. and Marsha Ann Tate. WEB WISDOM: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 1999.
• Cooke, Alison. Neal-Schuman Authoritative Guide to Evaluation Information on the Internet. Neal-Schuman. 1999.
• Jacobson, Trudi (ed.) Critical Thinking and the Web: teaching users to evaluate Internet Resources. Active Learning Series #4. Pittsburgh: Library Instruction Publications, 2000. (Thanks to Corinne Ebbs at Westfield State College for the recommendation). Includes hands-on classroom activities.
• Vincent, Steven and Sue K. Norman (eds.) "All That Glitters": prospecting for information in the changing library world. Stamford, CT: JAI Press, Inc, 1999. ALL 9 chapters here are GREAT and include experts such as D. Scott Brandt, Hal Kirkwood, Trudi Jacobson, and Marsha Ann Tate and Jan Alexander.

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