PED 103 105

Information Literacy Assignment

Students Name:
Leo Miguel
Due: March 20th
Purpose: Students will demonstrate their information literacy skills by accessing wellness-related information
using technology to retrieve and evaluate web-based sources.

Justification: Gathering research, today, has become increasingly more convenient due to the volume of
information that can be found on the internet. Wellness information is literally at your fingertips if you have internet
access and a search engine. However, anyone can publish on the internet including individuals, organizations,
educational institutions, companies, and government agencies (to name a few). Most of the information provided on
the internet is not reviewed or evaluated for accuracy or credibility. The novice researcher may take for granted that
the information provided is true, simply because it is published on the internet. Therefore, having the skills and a set
of criteria for evaluating internet sources can transform the novice researcher into an experienced researcher and
improve the quality and credibility of their research.
Often in searching the internet many sites provide a general overview of a topic and can be considered to have
generally reliable information although these resources may not meet the criteria of academic research. Academic
research, defined as information appropriate for citing in a research document, requires that the researcher apply
more stringent criteria as outlined below

DEFINITIONS OF EVALUATIVE CRITERIA FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH:

Authority Authority is the single most important criteria in evaluating a website. If a person is named as author,
look for credentials which include advanced degrees, additional publications, and association with a university or
professional organization. If there is no individual author, try to establish the expertise of the organization or agency
usually on an About Us page. Look for a board or panel or some peer review team or editorial structure. Look
for evidence of research, and professionals as members or contributors. Websites within domains .edu, .gov, or .org
tend to have the strongest authority; .com, .net and other commercial domains tend to have less authority.

Accuracy Ascertain the correctness and reliability of the information. Compare the websites content to
information in other sources you might start with your textbook. Look for a list of References indicating the
sources consulted by the author or publisher the most credible sources have verifiable References. Look for links
to other websites that meet these evaluative criteria and offer relevant information.

Objectivity Factual information based on research is most reliable. Beware of personal prejudice, emotional
appeals or bias favoring one side of an issue. Endorsement or sale of commercial products should be minimal.
Funding sources should be easily determined.

Currency Websites that are up-to-date and frequently revised are more credible. Check dates of publication and
last-update. Information within the fields of medicine and science should be no more than 2 years old. Links that do
not work generally are indicative of outdated resources and lack of web site maintenance.

Usability Move around the site to see if the navigation tools enhance or inhibit the gathering of information. To
be useful for academic research, topics should be adequately developed, treating issues comprehensively. Language
should be understandable to an educated adult.

Assignment procedure:
Step 1: Save this document to your computer or storage device.
Step 2: Check Angel for an email from your instructor regarding the website (url) you have been assigned to
evaluate and the librarian that will be providing feedback on your ILA.

Step 3: Read and follow the directions for completing the website evaluation. Save the document to your
computer.
Step 4: Email your completed assignment as an attachment to the librarian that has been assigned to your
evaluation. This information was sent to you via email. In order to get feedback on your evaluation it must be sent to
the librarian no later than one week prior to the due date. Make sure the assignment includes the website you were
given to evaluate. If you want more than just electronic feedback, you may request a conference when you
email your evaluation. To send an email to the librarian you will need to use either your skipjack email or personal
email account. You cannot send an email to the LRC from Angel email.

*Step 5: Receive feedback from the librarian assigned to you. The librarian will email your instructor once your
assignment has been received and feedback was provided.

Step 6: Revise and finalize the assignment and submit it in the designated dropbox in Angel. This assignment
MUST be submitted electronically.
*If a student fails to participate in a conference an automatic 20% grade reduction will result.

Part A: The evaluation process: In the table below you will find a set of criteria and series of questions for
each. Use the criteria below to evaluate the website assigned to you. Make sure you are evaluating the website as
a whole.
The internet source (url) must be provided accurately to allow for verification.
Provide website url here: http://psychcentral.com/disorders/anxiety/

Authority:

Yes

Is the author clearly identified?

Is data included about the author/information

provider? (i.e. about us)

No

Explain response

The author is clearly

identified under the
title Anxiety The
author name is John
M. Grohol, Psy.D.
Psych Central is the
Internets largest and
oldest independent
mental health social
network. Since
1995, it has been run
by mental health
professionals
offering reliable,
trusted information
and over 200 support

Is the author affiliated with a relevant

professional institution/organization?

Is the author qualified to write on this subject?

(i.e. credentials)

Does the url (address) give you clues to the

authority of the source?

Would you be able to contact someone at this

website?

groups to
consumers. John
Grohols Mental
Health Page was
launched in January
1995 as Psych
Central
Psych Central is
affiliated with the
Psych Central
Community
Connection, a
501(c)3 public
charity that provides
small grants to
individuals in need,
who are members of
the Psych Central
Community.
According to the
information
provided in the
website he graduated
in clinical
psychology from
Nova Southeastern
University in 1995
The URL tells me
that anxiety is under
the webpage of the
website named
Psych Central that
belongs to John M.
Grohol and the
article was written
by John M. Grohol
himself.
The site offers
online
communication by
submitting an online
resource for
consideration in the
Psych Central
Resource Library.
The site also has a

Is there evidence of quality control? (i.e. peer

reviewers, editorial staff)

Accuracy:

Yes

No

Are references provided to determine where the

information was obtained from?

Is the information easily verifiable? How?

Is the information dependable and error-free?

page to register for

chat communication,
but you do need to
register prior to
accessing.
I would say there is
because the site has
a blog page and
forums page.
However you need
to register prior to
accessing. In
addition the sites
states that is
maintained by Dr.
Grohol and a staff of
contributing editors
Explain response

There is no clear
reference that
determines where
the information was
obtained from.
However, at the end
of the article
Anxiety the author
list additional
resources under the
sub title For Further
Information
In the article under
the sub title Specific
Symptoms of
Specific Phobias the
author links where
the information
came from.
Psych Central is the
Internets largest and
oldest independent
mental health social
network as stated in
the about us page.
The information is
updated by the
author himself and a

staff of contributing
editors and this why
is not error-free.
Is there a clear purpose for the internet site?

Are links to other sites relevant and valuable?

The site generally

states that mental
health professionals
offers reliable,
trusted information
on resources and the
first list of
symptoms for
mental disorders and
over 200 support
groups to
consumers.
It has a link to books
reviews that are
related to the subject
Explain response

Objectivity:

Yes

Is there evidence that suggests bias?

Is the author providing facts or opinion?

No

In the page there are

advertisements that
can lead us to think
that the author is
providing
information related
to any products that
is advertised.
However, the author
states in the
disclaimer and
disclosure page that
No advertiser,
organization, or
pharmaceutical
company, at any
time, has any direct
influence or impact
on our editorial
decisions, editorial
direction, or what
we publish on the
site. So this clears
the advertisement
bias.
I think the author is

Does the site offer anything for sale?

Currency:

Are you able to determine when the information

was first written?

Are you able to determine when the information

was first posted to the web?
Are you able to determine when the material was
last updated?

Yes

Explain response

Under the title

Anxiety every
subtitle gives a date
when it was written.
x

Do all of the links work and are they up-to-date?

Does the organization or person hosting the

resource appear to have a commitment to
ongoing maintenance and stability of the
resource?

No

probably providing
both the facts
because we all know
that problems exists
and opinion because
we dont know
exactly where the
information came
from
I could not find
anything related for
sale or pricing, but
they have
advertisements.

Almost at the bottom

of the page appears a
box with the updated
information.
I found an error
under the link rate
n review anxiety
medication under
the section connects
with others.
The resources on the
page are regularly
maintained by the
author and a staff of
contributors. While I
was reading other
articles I noticed that
there was a
consistency of the
dates. In addition,
they have been since
1995. This tells me
that there is a
commitment to
ongoing with the

resources.
Usability:

Yes

Can you easily read and understand the

information on the site?
Is the site organized in a logical manner to
facilitate the location of information?

Does the site have a well-labeled table of

contents?
Are the pages uncluttered and cleanly designed?

Are the navigation buttons consistent throughout

the website?
Are the links clearly and accurately described?

No

Explain response

There is a lot of
information on the
site.

Part B: Conclusions: Based on the evaluation process, respond to questions 1 & 2 found below.
1. What is your overall impression of the website you evaluated? Is it a source of valid,
reliable and credible information and one you could use to further your general knowledge
of the topic?
Use the information you gathered in the chart and discuss the five criteria to support your
argument.
My impression on the site is that has valuable information listed. In all my research I have not
found a page that has all this kind of information. Therefore, based on all the information I have
gathered, this site is reliable and credible to gain basic knowledge only of any topic related to
health problems. The site has a good authority because it provides the author information, it is
affiliated with an organization, and the author has a good reputation since 1995. In addition, the
site has a clear purpose and is accurate. The site doesnt offer anything for sale and it is updated
frequently. The site can be easy to read and understand and have a good labeled table of content.
2. Information that may be included in academic research requires the researcher to apply
more rigorous criteria than one might use to gain some knowledge about a topic. Using the
Definitions of Evaluative Criteria for Academic Research (above) and your responses in the
chart to support your argument, discuss whether you feel this site meets sufficient criteria
to cite in a research paper or project. Why or why not?
I think this site does not meets the sufficient criteria needed to be used in a research paper
because even though it has enough information that explains topics in depth and has been
recognized as an outstanding resource for many years the author is the owner of the website and
is independent. The main reason why I find this site to be insufficient for an academic research is
because they clearly state that reliance on any information provided by Psych Central or by any
person or professional appearing on their website is solely at our own risk. Psych Central is not
liable for any advice or information provided on the site. If the author who provides all of the
information does not rely on its own information, neither should we.