Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
books, journals, and other documents on paper, but those methods have been
supplemented with digital documents. This merging of processes makes the eval-
uation of resources more complex. Once again, the responsible organization is a
key to the authority of the information provided. Professional organizations, librar-
ies, bookstores, government bookstores and agencies, Web sites, television and
radio stations, and blogs are engaged in dissemination. Because individuals with
technical skills can disseminate information worldwide through the Internet, the dis-
semination source is an important consideration.
If the disseminator is an individual, that person's credentials should be ex-
amined to determine the authority of the information. Is the individual responsible
for the information a knowledgeable professional with knowledge of the content
area? Is she a system administrator, librarian, reviewer, webmaster, producer, or
experienced staff member?
Information Organization
The library and information professions have a history as bibliographic control
experts. Most libraries and information agencies of all types now have online cata-
logs or bibliographies that provide access to their collections by author, title, sub-
ject, and keywords. As a result, these catalogs are available on phones, personal
computers, and tablet computers for easy access nearly anywhere. Is the docu-
ment under consideration part of the information infrastructure that is subject to
the general organization schemes of the library profession? Is the document found
in WorldCat, the worldwide catalog that also indicates libraries that house specific
titles? If the document is a periodical article, is it indexed in a reputable index or
bibliography? Is the document in question of a quality that justifies its cost for pur-
chase (if applicable), storage, and retrieval in the information system?
In organizations of all sizes, the organization, storage, and retrieval of ephemer-
al information like e-mail communications may not be systematic. If systematically
stored, retrieval by keywords can be accomplished quite easily. Does the organiz-
ation under consideration have such a systematic storage and retrieval plan?
While libraries and the library profession attempt to organize all information
using a general classification scheme, professions and disciplines may organize
books, research reports, and journal articles using terms peculiar to their profes-
sion or discipline. Librarians and indexers with subject-area expertise produce in-
dexes, abstracts, and catalogs in their particular fields. An evaluation of specific
documents should address the following questions: Is the document accessible
through a reputable specialized index or catalog? Is the index or catalog the
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