Practical 6a & b

Practical 6a&b

The following is based on http://alcoholism.about.com/

Purpose Are the aims of the website clearly stated? The aims of the website is quite clearly stated in the title and headings.

Coverage What is the coverage of the site? Is it comprehensive? What subject areas and materials are covered? Are there any pointers to further information that enhance the coverage of the site? Are the links to other sites useful? The coverage of this website is to educate people about alcoholism. The website covers a wide range of topics such as the 'effects of alcohol', 'symptoms/diagnosis' and 'treatment/rehab'. It also includes all the latest news regarding alcoholism. The website also include an option to subscribe to its newsletter and sponsored links to alcoholism treatments. The links to external websites are not really useful as they are mostly just advertisements.

Authority Is this an authoritative source? Are there any reviews about this site or has it been included in any gateways or virtual libraries? The website is an authoritative source. It is a part of The New York Times Company which is a highly reputable mass media resource hence the source of information and resources are clearly stated. The author has years of research and experience in this field and can be contacted through email.

Accuracy Are the facts accurate? Does it use research as a basis? Is there political, ideological, or biasness in the source? Is it a factual site or one that contains an opinion? Are the references stated clearly? Is it free from grammatical, spelling and typographical errors? The facts are accurate as the content of the article are all reviewed by a team of board certified physicians and certified health professionals from leading institutions. There are no political, ideological or biasness detected in the articles and the sources and references of the articles are also stated clearly at the end of the article.

Currency Is the information up-to-date? Is it well-maintained? The information on the website is quite up-to-date and well-maintained. The 'Alcoholism Blog' and the 'Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the News' is updated daily. However, some of the articles such as 'Types of Alcohol Problems' was last updated in Nov 2007.

Accessibility Is the site easily accessible? Does it require registration and log-ins? Are all the information accessible for FREE? The website is easily accessible, no log-ins or registration required and all the information accessible are free. However, the forums would require one to register before posting.

Presentation and Arrangement Is the information well presented and arranged? Is the information clearly, consistently and logically presented and arranged? Are there any features such as site map, an index or a search facility? How effective are the search features in helping users to find information? The information are all well presented with clear formatting and presented/arranged logically. It is also consistent in its presentation and layout. There is a search engine within the site and the topics are all listed by their categories, allowing one to look for relevant information easily.

Usability Is it easy to use and navigate around? Are there user support facilities? The website has a simple layout with clear headings which makes it user-friendly and allows for easy navigation.

Overall What is your overall impression of the quality of the website? My overall impression of the quality of the website is quite good. The website is easy to navigate and search for information. All the information are also presented clearly and very accurate. However, some of the articles are not updated regularly, which might result in the information being outdated.

Reflections:

From this practical, I have learnt how to accurately evaluate a website and the importance of it. Previously, I didn't even know there were so many things to consider when evaluating a website. Evaluating a website is very useful, especially when researching as by knowing important things such as the authority, accuracy and currency of the website, I am able to tell if the information is reliable and up-to-date. Also, by knowing the coverage, I can easily determine the content of the website. Therefore, the knowledge of evaluating websites has definitely helped me a lot, especially in researching.