MRAC

MRAC

Introduction

This paper is an evaluation of three web sources of information by applying the assessment criteria outlined in the Minimal Reliability Assessment Checklist (MRAC). The three web sources include http://www.dhmo.org, http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~doswell/Conference_papers/SELS96/WoO.html, and http://allaboutexplorers.com.

The http://www.dhmo.org webpage was found to contain factual information, useful links, current information, and a proper approach to reportage.  Although the author has endeavored to maintain objectivity, there is a hidden agenda of persuading the readers to take action against the use of DHMO because of its harmful effects on human health and the environment. The second website (http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~doswell/Conference_papers/SELS96/WoO.html) is equally factual and the subject is covered from a scholarly perspective, complete with a reference list. However, in the third webpage (http://allaboutexplorers.com), although the website appears properly laid out and organized, the information provided is fictional. In fact, the developers of the website intended to use it to teach elementary students about internet search skills.

Assessments of the three web sources

1. Dihydrogen Monoxide = http://www.dhmo.org/

This webpage was produced by the United States Environmental Assessment Center (EAC). The author of the webpage is Tom Way, whose professional expertise is not indicated. There is no link to further information about this author. The website is not sponsored. Nevertheless, the document appears to have originated from various sources highlighted under the title ‘DHMO Related Info’. Some of these sources include the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Sierra Club, and Greenpeace. The information provided is current since it was last updated on June 5, 2012. However, the webpage is not dated. There are no indications of prior updates on the document. There are many links to this document, and all of them have been actively maintained.

The document covers the topic under analysis in a clear and concise manner. The topics covered include the controversy surrounding the use of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO), special reports on dihydrogen monoxide, frequently asked questions (FAQs) on DHMO, and reports on cancer, environment, current research, and DHMO use in the dairy industry.

The webpage is logically organized, although the layout is rather poor. A reader can easily navigate through various links although the poor layout creates the impression of information clutter and lack of authenticity. The webpage distinguishes itself from others like it largely by providing only those links that direct the reader to US agencies that are an authority on the issue.

The stated goal of the webpage is to offer what the author refers to as ‘an unbiased data clearinghouse’ as well as a forum on which the public can discuss the issue of DHMO. Judging by the information provided in the related links, efforts have indeed been made to provide an objective and balanced discussion of DHMO. For example, there is a lot of descriptive information on notifications regarding new research findings relating to DHMO. Nevertheless, the hidden agenda of the webpage, it appears, is to highlight the dangers of DHMO. The advertisements contained in this document do not imply any bias; rather they are intended to get readers to support the DHMO.org cause.

The information provided is good, reliable, and truthful. This is largely because of the credible sources used for verification purposes. For example, on the use of DHMO in the dairy industry, the author presents the views of Dr. Donna Maria Waltz, a specialist in dairy cattle feeding and a former employee of the US Food and Drug Administration.

2. Case Analysis Of A Historic Killer Tornado Event = http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~doswell/Conference_papers/SELS96/WoO.html

The webpage on which this article appears was produced by the the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS), a research organization established in 1978 through a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Oklahoma. The article was authored by two people: Harold Brooks and Charles Doswell III. Harold Brooks is the head of Mesoscale Applications Group, has published 25 formal publications on climate change and mesoscale applications. Simply put, he is an expert in the subject which is a case analysis of the killer tornado the swept across Kansas in 1938. Dr. Charles Doswell III is a renowned meteorologist, having pursued his graduate studies in meteorology in the University of Oklahoma. On this webpage, there is only a link to further information on Harold Brooks; there is none for Charles Doswell III. There is no information about sponsorship in the website.

The information contained in this article is not current, considering that the article was first published in the American Meteorology Journal in 1996. No updates have been made since then. In subsequent reprints as well as in the web version, only typographical errors and other minor inaccuracies have been fixed. There are very few links (seven in total) most of which direct the reader to the figures used to illustrate the article. All these links direct the reader to the right illustrations and further information.

The subject of the document is a case analysis of the memorable killer tornado event that occurred on 10 June 1938 in Kansas. The authors carefully analyze this historic event as depicted in a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer documentary footage. Photos are used to provide evidence in the course of the analysis. This analysis is brief, most likely because of the limited availability of additional sources to collaborate the content of the documentary. The web page is properly organized, with the conventional structure of an academic research paper being used. The page is made different from others through strict use of plain text only. All illustrations are presented in a different webpage and then connected to the text via a link.

The topic under discussion is treated in a very fair and objective manner. The authors endeavor to avoid assumptions whenever the photos, illustrations, and figures do not give a clear view of the weather conditions under which the tornado was sweeping across Kansas. In other words, the article in no way attempts to persuade the reader to adopt any specific point of view. Moreover, there are no advertisements whatsoever in this webpage.

For the most part, the authors rely on the information contained in the documentary being analyzed. Therefore, any inaccuracies that were made in the documentary may have found its way into this article. This explains why the information is not wholly reliable and truthful. Nevertheless, this information is worth putting into consideration largely because of the insights it provides into techniques of analyzing historical tornado events. Having adopted a scholarly perspective, the authors made a great effort at verifying the information provided by two other authors.

3. All About Explorers= http://allaboutexplorers.com/

The webpage was produced by a group of teachers with the aim of teaching elementary age students all about the internet. The aim was to demonstrate to these students that the fact that the information is out there to be searched did not mean that it is worthwhile. As such, the authors of the website are teachers who opt to use fictional biographies in an effort to make a point about accessing useless information even in websites that appear to be properly put together at first glance.

The authors are professional teachers with the requisite skills to communicate the lessons that they want to instill in their learners. However, there is no link about further information about the authors. The information available about the authors can only be obtained at a different webpage within the website. From this information, two of the authors appear qualified to talk about ways of letting learners differentiate real and fake things on the internet while the other two appear fictional.

Gerald Aungst, one of the authors, is the lead designer and webmaster for the website. He works at Oceanside Community College as a part-time custodian. One of his tasks involves auditing graduate-level courses. He also has an interest in exploration, and has managed to visit six of the seven main continents of the world. Lauren Zucker, on the other hand, is the botanist and staff psychiatrist at the website. She is the discoverer of Ligh-Ligh bush, a rare Australian plant. She has also worked a lot as a voice-over actor. The other authors include Dr. Eton Kroe and Lochten deBrigg VI. Considering that this is a website aimed at training elementary students all about internet skills, it is rather curious that the last two authors, Eton Kroe and Lochten deBrigg VI seem to be fictional. Neither their names nor careers appear anywhere upon undertaking a basic internet search.

The information contained in the website is about explorers, but it contains a huge proportion of fictional information with the aim being to help elementary students identify seemingly well-ordered information that is false or inaccurate. The webpage is indicated to have been last updated in 2012, meaning that the developers have made efforts to keep it up-to-date. All the links to this document have been properly maintained.

The website is contains descriptions of all the most famous explorers of the modern world. With regard to reportage, the information provided about the explorers is not factual. For instance, the authors indicate that Christopher Columbus, one of the explorers described, was born in 1942 and that he died in 1906! If it were not for such illogical and absurd statements, the information provided would appear credible because of attractive layout and proper organization, which makes navigation easy. A key distinguishing factor is that no advertisements or sponsored links have been put on the webpage.

In terms of objectivity, the subject has not been fairly treated. Considering that this website is aimed at teaching learners on how to use the internet to search for information, there is an effort to appear to minimize bias and hidden agenda. It is on this same light that no advertisements are featured. An elementary student with little or no experience about internet search may be misled to adopt one of the inaccurate statements presented in the website as fact. Indeed, the only reason why one would consider the information provided in this website is to use it for teaching students about the need to evaluate and scrutinize internet sources for accuracy and reliability.

Conclusion

In summary, not everything that appears online is true. It is the responsibility of the online researcher to verify all sources to ensure that the information contained in them is true. Use of common sense is also necessary, particularly when one finds information that sounds too outrageous or too good to be true. The Minimal Reliability Assessment Checklist (MRAC) is an excellent tool for use as an assessment criteria tool for web sources. In this regard, it is crucial for every online research to consider the MRAC criteria, namely: currency, reportage, authorship, objectivity, and accuracy.

 

References

Aungst, G., Zucker, L. Kroe, E., & deBrigg VI, L. (2012) All About Explorers, retrieved from http://allaboutexplorers.com, on June 6, 2012.

Doswell III, C. & Brooks, H. (1996) Case Analysis of a Historic Killer Tornado Event in Kansas on 10 June 1938, retrieved from http://www.cimms.ou.edu/~doswell/Conference_papers/SELS96/WoO.html  June 6, 2012.

Way, T. (2012) Dihidrogen Monoxide Research Division, retrieved from http://www.dhmo.org  on June 6, 2012.