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Evaluating Internet-based Resources
The Press, Watson, is a most
valuable institution, if you only know how to use it.
Sherlock Holmes
The Six Napoleons
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There was a time, only a few years ago,
when all you had to say was, "I got this information from the Internet," and it
was considered gospel. At that time, the only people who could publish there worked at
research centers and Universities, and the information was scholarly by nature.
Today, just about anyone can publish on
the Internet. You do not have to go through editors and your information is instantly
available to a global audience at almost no charge. This presents some problems for those
of us who use information, but it is important to note that these problems are neither
unique nor brand new. Critical evaluation of information has been necessary since
humankind first learned to communicate and it has been part of most curriculums for years.
But never before has it become so easy for so many to communicate so effectively and so
broadly. This presents a special challenge to schools. |