Mrac Website Analysis, Assessment Example

Introduction

Minimal reliability assessment checklist analysis will be concluded for two websites in order to determine their content and quality. The selected websites are http://www.dhmo.org/ and http://allaboutexplorers.com/.

Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division.

Authorship. While the website confirms that the content is created by the Dihydrogen Monoxide Research Division, the individual articles are signed by individual researchers. The website contains copyrighted material, external links to research and sources. The company’s association with the United States Environmental Research Center is confirmed through a logo displayed on the top of the page. Tom Way seems to be the author of all articles, but there is no indication that he would be an expert or researcher.

Currency. The website was last updated on the 2^nd of June, 2013, according to the authors in the byline part. It is impossible to check whether new content was really added to the site recently, as articles and posts are not dated.

Reportage. The topics are organized in a way that it is not easy to navigate. Visitors can find the special reports on the left hand side menu while related information can be found on the right hand side. Research reports are displayed in a batch, instead of having a link on their own each.

Objectivity. When assessing the articles, it is evident that very little research data and statistical information is used to confirm the claims of the website that Dihydrogen Monoxide is harmful and that pollution can be stopped. The website seems to be one-sided, not quoting research from the other side. No details are included regarding clinical studies to determine harm caused for humans.

Accuracy. The bottom line of the website states that “content veracity not implied”, which questions the reliability of the data. Free hosting account is used or a low-cost one, as the logo of the company is displayed at the bottom. This indicates that the quality of information and publications might be compromised and not of high standards.

All About Explorers

Authorship. According to the “About” page, the site is created by a group of teachers. The “All about the authors” page provides biographies for each of the teachers and contributors. It tells readers about their interests, expertise and research area.

Currency. The last entry on the blog page of the All About Explorers” site is dated January 2012. This means that the content might not be updated and new resources are not added frequently. The posts related to individual explorers are not dated, therefore, it is not likely that the internet resources published are current, either. In the “Reliable Web Sources” section there are many error and non-existing pages displayed, which confirms that the site has not been updated for a long time.

Reportage. The articles written about different explorers are created in a conversational style. There are no research and first hand sources displayed in most of the posts. The articles are limited to a summary of explorers’ lives, travels, but lack an insight into their motivation and background.

Objectivity. The website is designed to create an alternative approach to teaching lessons about the Internet. It is created to help students learn to distinguish between useful and unreliable information online.

Accuracy. The voyages of explorers are displayed on a map next to the post. However, data is not displayed regarding the size of the expedition, funding, the significance of the exploration and the aftermath. This way, it is fair to say that the site’s accuracy is not satisfactory and backed up with research accordingly.