Evaluating the Quality of Internet Information Sources / Kevin M. Oliver, Gene L. Wilkinson and Lisa T. Bennett.

Internet information resources are proliferating at an astonishing rate, however, very little of that information is of high quality. Educators are in need of instruments to assist in evaluating information quality, which is the goal of a project underway at The University of Georgia. This paper is a progress report on the project to develop such a set of criteria and standards. Indicators of information and web site quality were identified, classified within eleven criterion categories, and rated in terms of importance by a panel of experts on Internet resources. Criterion categories used were: (1) site access and usability; (2) resource identification and documentation; (3) author identification; (4) authority of author; (5) information structure and design; (6) relevance and scope of content; (7) validity of content; (8) accuracy and balance of content; (9) navigation within document; (10) quality of the links; and (11) aesthetic and affective aspects. The highest rated indicators of information quality will provide the framework for a set of instruments and procedures for the evaluation of Internet information resources. Along with the information quality indicators, highly rated indicators of site quality are used to provide design guidelines for the developers of Internet information resources. (Author/SWC)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.