THE INTERNET HAS BECOME A NEW MEDIUM FOR FINDING INFORMATION.
How can we assess the quality of online information?
The evaluation of information quality depends on the needs of each individual user and the nature of the information being sought.
Key elements for evaluating quality:
- Defining the purpose (intended use) of the source (information)
- Assessing authorship
- Accuracy of content
- Source maintenance and updates
- Accessibility of the source
- Organization of information
- Comparing with similar sources
- Evaluating the overall impression of the source’s quality
- Identifying the target audience of the source
A source is considered authoritative if its author is an expert in the field or if it is produced by an institution recognized in professional circles.
Information about the author or institution can help in assessing credibility:
- .edu = educational institutions
- .gov = government institutions
- .mil = military institutions
- .com = commercial institutions
- .hr = Croatia
(Electronic Reference Sources, Zdenka Sviben, KGZ)