Ideas Concerning Validity

How do we know that the information we’re sourcing online is valid?

I guess in some cases we can never be 100% sure of the validity of information. I think that considering the source of the information would be the first step in assessing its validity. Is the information coming from a viable source – is it a government website or a stranger’s Facebook page? Is it an academic journal or a casual blog? Are you searching for information about food on a website that specialises in nutrition or in electrical engineering? The source can be the most valuable indicator when assessing the validity of some information.

Beyond considering the source, I think it would also be worth looking at the date the website was published/last updated. Is the information current or is it dated and therefore less valid? I would also look at the website’s traffic. Is it accessed by many people often? Is it a popular place for people to come when searching for the information? If so, this may indicate that the publisher is reliable. If not, it would be important to consider why.

 

Is it naive to assume the information published in books is more valid than that published online?

I feel that we’re often inclined to trust the information published in print form more than that online. I think this is because the contents of a book has gone through a rigorous editorial period where as anyone can publish anything online with the click of a button. Publishing a book takes time and editing. Publishing information online can be as simple as one person uploading their content to a blog and pressing ‘publish’. Therefore I don’t think it’s naive to trust the information in books more than that online, but it’s important to also understand that information found online can be just as valid, if not more so, than that of books.