Evaluating Content on the Web: What You See May Not Be What You Get

By Cathy C. at Fordham University

Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? I was a curious child, relentlessly bombarding my parents, older brother, and aunt with numerous and varied questions. After patiently attempting to answer my question, the next reply was usually, “Go look it up in the encyclopedia.” As a child, I accepted everything I read in an encyclopedia or textbook as truth. As I matured, I learned that written sources of information can have inaccuracies, misinformation, biases, outdated material, and inadequate coverage to the topic. At times, written sources of information may even attempt to persuade, dissuade, misinform, and mislead. What you see, or in this case read, may not be what you get!

The same is true with content on the Web. Using the Web, one can easily find abundant quantity about a topic, but what is the quality? In the case of encyclopedias and textbooks, editors and publishers may offer some additional scrutiny prior to publication. However, in the case of the Web, anyone can publish at anytime, and more and more of us are relying on that information. How to evaluate if what you see is what you get? Alexander & Tate (1996) offer a Web page evaluation procedure using checklists, based on the type of web page, and five criteria for evaluation: accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage.

In the business banking world, web-based research is beginning to be used almost daily. Business banking client managers work with businesses from $2.5 to 25 million in annual sales revenue, actively working to attract new businesses to the bank and their portfolios. Client managers call on business owners, chief financial officers, and controllers in their place of business; offering banking services like loans, deposits, treasury management, merchant services, and credit cards. Resources, such as time, are always short, so client managers use the Web to more efficiently and effectively identify businesses that fit the annual sales revenue target. Once qualified as in the target, the client manager can us the Web to learn more about the business’s industry, history, products and services, ownership, key personnel, current media coverage, etc.

Though the Web often provides quantity about a business client, the client manager must evaluate quality. Alexander & Tate’s (1996) Business/Marketing page checklist and evaluation criteria can be used to provide a procedural approach, assuring greater consistency and quality:

· Accuracy: How accurate is a business’s self-reported data? Do other reliable sources corroborate the information? Links to SEC, industry group, Chamber? Is the website professional in format, spelling, grammar, etc.?

· Authority: Is this an official website? Who is writing about the business? In what capacity or role? What is the ownership structure? Can the address and telephone number be confirmed? Are there sponsors? No ads?

· Objectivity: What’s the bias? What is the authority’s relationship to the business and how does that affect opinion?

· Currency: When was the business’s website created or last revised? How current is information from other sources?

· Coverage: Is the page complete? What topics are covered? What are the scope and depth of the information? Product and services detail?

Is what you see what you get? In rare cases, client managers cannot find Web information about a business, which leads to questions about authenticity and size. Incomplete or poorly designed web pages create a negative first impression. Quality web pages with accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage create a positive first impression, usually leading to a face-to-face call to explore a banking relationship that may ultimately save the business more time and money.

Reference

Alexander, J. & Tate, M. A. (1996). Web resources evaluation techniques. Retrieved September 27, 2009, from Widener University, Wolfgram Memorial Library Web site: http://www3.widener.edu/Academics/Libraries/Wolfgram_Memorial_Library/Evaluate_Web_Pages/Original_Web_Evaluation_Materials/6160/