Critical evaluation of online information.

If you are asked, for example, to write a report on environmental issues, what’s the first information source that comes to your mind? If you are thinking about websites you may be part of what Marc Prensky describes as a Digital Native, i.e., “native speakers” of the digital language.

In fact, the Internet is the most complete and practical source of information: with just a couple of clicks we can have access to an enormous amount of data through texts, pictures, videos, etc. But, how much can we trust in what we find?

Last month I had to write an argumentative essay about the inclusion of French and Mandarin in the British curriculum. I was trying to find economic reasons that support the inclusion of Mandarin and I found out in a webpage that the UK was “the top EU investor in China”. It was only when my teacher corrected it that I learned that Great Britain is not even a member of the EU.

 Unlike similar information found in other sources such as newspapers, encyclopedias or television broadcasts, information available on the Internet is not regulated for quality or accuracy. Therefore, being able to identify and select trustworthy and reliable data is a competence we should not overlook.

The British Council proposes a list of criteria that we should take into account when evaluating and selecting websites:

• Accuracy refers to the veracity of the information, weather we can authenticate it from other sources, and if it is updated and properly presented – in terms of grammar and spelling.
• Authority makes reference to the author of the information, his/her credentials and the way to contact him/her.
• Audience and relevance speaks about whether the information is relevant or not and who is it intended to.
• Educational focus evaluates whether the site has educational purposes and caters for different intelligences and learning styles.
• Ease of use refers to the webpage’s structure and format, its loading speed and weather its design is appealing or not.

I usually pay attention to the last item in particular, especially to the colours and fonts of the page. However, we should always bear in mind that appearances can be deceiving, and be aware of the other criteria in order to select proper and reliable information among the huge amount of data found in the cyberspace.