evaluating websites – Media! Tech! Parenting!

evaluating news, Evaluating Web Resources, health information on social media, medical information, misinformation, parents and technology

Misleading Medical Info — Be Aware

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Marti Weston

inaccurate health info — Click to visit the Health Feedback site and view this graph.

You’ve just visited your physician or your child’s pediatrician and still have questions, so you decide to look up some health information online. Be careful and be aware that what you see on Facebook and on many websites, even some well known and respected media sites, may be misleading.

When you need to seek medical or health material on the internet, be sure to use curated sources — websites that are posted by hospitals, medical schools, medical libraries, and the National Institutes of Health. This post at my other blog, AsOurParentsAge, offers lots of information about identifying and using sources with accurate health and medical information. Continue reading “Misleading Medical Info — Be Aware” →

attributing sources, digital learning, digital parenting, evaluating web site resources, parents and technology

10 Tips to Ensure that You Use Accurate Digital Information

Posted on December 2, 2011December 2, 2011 by Marti Weston

Even in today’s fast-paced virtual world, these tips never seem to age. Help kids learn to make good choices.

1. Who made the site? Is it from a university or other institution? Is it for-profit or non-profit. Corporate? Look for an “about” link that describes the site.

2. When was the site made and how often is the site updated? Somewhere, usually at top or bottom it should tell. Is this site updated recently? If not this may be a reason to check out another website on your topic.

3. Is it possible to contact the webmaster or the sponsor of the site? Is there a “contact us” link somewhere on the page?

4. How much advertising is on the page, and how aggressive is it? Good sites that use advertising are careful to keep it from being “in your face.”

5. Does the site state its mission? Why was it set up?

Continue reading “10 Tips to Ensure that You Use Accurate Digital Information” →

digital parenting, online databases, parents and technology, research on the web

Do You Know What Makes a Good Website? Does Your Child Know?

Posted on October 19, 2010March 1, 2015 by Marti Weston

If the information in this post is helpful, you may also want to read my post Staying Ahead With Digital Research.

How can one determine whether or not a website is reliable?

Obviously if the website is part of library resources, students and parents can usually be assured of its quality. However, when a child sits down at a personal home computer, makes a general search on a topic for a school assignment, and begins clicking through results, understanding the characteristics that make a website reliable is critical.

Questions to Help Parents and Children Determine if a Website is Reliable …

Is the site visually interesting with an organized layout?
Does it balance writing with helpful illustrations?
Is the writer qualified to be writing on the subject? How do you know?
Can you identify facts and information about your topic that you already know are accurate
Are the fonts simple, easy to read, and uncluttered?
Is the site updated on a regular basis? How do you know?
Are there irritating pop-ups and/or other distractions. (However be aware that newspapers do have these pop-up windows.)