One step forward, two steps back: The World Wide Web as aninformation resource
Keywords:
World Wide Web, internet reference, quality initiatives, web site quality, web site access, URL disappearanceAbstract
The World Wide Web offers the potential for comprehensive shared access of reliable and valid health information and educational resources; hence a major step towards enriching pharmacy education. However, educators and students must nowconsider web site information that may change, move, expire and disappear with no record. Also, many web sites lack key indicators of quality such as the source of the material presented, authorship, or how current the information is. In a sense,these issues may be viewed as major “steps backward” toward using web-based information to enrich education. Although no comprehensive, organized strategy exists to ensure high quality and availability of web sites at all times, several initiatives exist to assist viewers in dealing with web site disappearance and evaluating the quality of information presented. Awareness of theseissues is necessary for the World Wide Web to be useful as a valid information and educational resource.References
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