Check for quality*
You want to distinguish a good online resource from a bad one.
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Incomplete, misleading or poorly conceptualized websites may be indistinguishable from high quality, well-researched authoritative sites. Sometimes this misdirection is intentional.
The ability to judge resources builds progressively. The more you know about the domain of your inquiry, the better informed you are of the criteria that constitute a quality resource in that domain.
You cannot judge the quality of a site when you have not progressed beyond the rudiments of the subject.
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Therefore, use checklists designed by experiences searchers or subject matter experts until you acquire basic knowledge of the domain.
Checklists support your growing level of expertise. You are placing your trust in someone else’s judgment.
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Nicole Auer (2004) maintains a bibliography of checklists for evaluating websites.
Note: See also trust a secondary source
Lifelong Learning design pattern map. Click to enlarge.
The “check for quality” pattern was originally published April 25th, 2005 on The Common Loon.
25 Apr 2005
