Question 1.
The author of this week’s article (Fogg) discussed credibility as a key attribute to evaluate online resources. In your own words, describe why it is important that we evaluate credibility of websites. In your discussion, provide an example of how credibility of the Web resources could affect you as a student.
We must evaluate all sources that are to be included in any academic capacity, if we did not any one could make outrageous claims that others may come to believe even with evidence that contradicts or cancels that claim outright. Any information that presents itself on the web as credible must be verified and substantiated, but due to the internet age the appearance of an article being published is not necessarily verification of its relevance or quality (Gilster, 1997 as cited by Flanagin & Metzger,2000). Conspiracy People who may want to believe a certain claim or source of information will often succumb to conformation bias, conformations bias “states that people tend to favour information that confirms their beliefs—not only in deciding what to read but also in how they interpret what they read about” Prior, 2003 (as cited by Vydiswaran, Zhai, Roth, & Pirolli 2015). As students we are often tasked with writing to an academic level in that the information we use to form and substantiate our views or work must stand up to legitimate scrutiny.
Question 2.
In the learning portfolio, Wikipedia is not accepted as a credible resource for academic assignments. What do you think is the reason Wikipedia is not accepted?
Wikipedia is not accepted as a credible resource for academic usages, due to the fact that anyone who accesses Wikipedia can edit and contribute free of the necessary credentials or experience in writing about the subject they are editing. The entire site is mostly run by volunteers that contribute and clean up the wiki when people vandalise certain sections as being open to all, people have in the past wilfully added false information to subjects. This in itself is the problem, if Wikipedia was an online encyclopaedia that experts or qualified academics contributed to and could not be altered by people who had no formal education or understanding of the subject that they edit, Wikipedia would have more credibility. The case though is that by opening Wikipedia as a collective encyclopaedia for all to use and that can be edited by anyone, there is no set academic standard or peer review process in place to critique, assess credibility and relevance in adding to the collective whole of that subject.
Question 3.
In dot points, in your own words, list anticipated issues that may affect the users’ perceived Web credibility in future
- Websites that look legitimate may be false or cloned websites used to gather your information for criminal purposes.
- Unknown as to who set the site up, as anything can be faked giving a sense of legitimacy.
- Ad pop ups and advertising.
- Your data when accessing websites may be sold to outside parties.
- The tracking of your location and online activity.
- Spelling errors, grammar mistakes from sites purporting to be run by professionals.
- User interface is hard to navigate.
- Site has not been updated in some time.
- Site is using discredited information or not widely accepted information.
- The site or organisation is not well known.
- Online scams.
- Information is conveyed without citations or references.
- The internet is widely used now for entertainment purposes instead of its original use.
- Missing images or links that don’t work on websites.
- Everyone online is a self-described expert.
- The way sites ae ranked in search engines, possibly overlooking better sites.
Learning activity.
Find a website for each type of credibility (i.e. presumed, reputed, surface, and earned) and upload snapshots of the websites on your blog site. Provide a brief explanation why the websites are credible.
Presumed
Sea Shepard based on being a non-profit organisation that seeks to conserve the ocean and its inhabitants.
http://www.seashepherd.org.au/
Reputed
Keep seeing endorsements in entertainment sections of news outlets and magazines.
Surface
Gives the impression of an industry expert news site.
Earned
A petition did its rounds and I was sceptical at first using the site due to requiring log on information. I have been using for over a year now when a petition pops up that I can help and agree with.
References
Flanagin, A. J., & Metzger, M. J. (2000). Perceptions of Internet Information Credibility. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 77(3), 515-540. doi:10.1177/107769900007700304
Vydiswaran, V. G. V., Zhai, C., Roth, D., & Pirolli, P. (2015). Overcoming Bias to Learn about Controversial Topics. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(8), 1655-1672. doi:10.1002/asi.23274
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