Website Policy
Mission
The Website of the Coy C. Carpenter Library functions to support and enhance the Library's role in carrying out the mission of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center; those primary areas being: education, research, patient care, and outreach to the community.
Objectives
The Website of the Coy C. Carpenter Library of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center is:
- Designed and is maintained to promote direct access to information resources and increase the visibility of the Library.
- Provides access to an organized and specifically designed gateway to useful current, evaluated Web-based resources.
- Informs health care professionals, students of medicine and health care and others of new resources available via the World Wide Web.
Guiding Principle: Promote Usability
- Use minimal text - be concise.
- Make text scannable.
- Be objective: Emphasize factual information, De-emphasize exaggeration
- Continuously evaluate and update the Website and the resources accessible. The Web Committee is responsible for this evaluation and updating of site and resources. Any changes should be submitted to the Webmaster so that he can make modifications to the page. Other library staff members may submit resources, materials, etc. to be added to the website to the Webmaster.
- Define target audiences. The website is intended for use by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Employees and Patients, Health Professionals, Medical and Allied Health Students, and those seeking information on Continuing Education.
- Add value to the resources by determining the focus of the collections and information made available.
- This website does not accept advertisement.
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Evaluation of Web Resources |
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1. Accuracy of Web Documents
Are there obvious errors in spelling or grammar?
Is the content of the site accurate and consistent?
Are sources of information listed and available for verification? |
Is the information presented by the resource consistent with existing information in the field of study?
Do the links on the site support the information provided by the site? |
2. Authority of Web Documents
Who published the document and is it separate from the "Webmaster?"
Check the domain of the document. What institution publishes this document?
What credentials are listed for the author(s)? |
Who wrote the page and can you contact him or her?
Is this person qualified to write this document? |
3. Objectivity of Web Documents
What goals/objectives does this page meet?
How detailed is the information?
What opinions (if any) are expressed by the author?
What is the purpose of the document and why was it produced? |
Determine if page is a mask for advertising; if so the information might be biased.
View any website as you would an infomercial on television. Ask yourself why was this written and for whom? |
4. Currency of Web Documents
When was it produced?
When was it updated?
How up-to-date are the links (if any)? |
How many dead links are on the page?
Are the links current or updated regularly?
Is the information on the page outdated? |
5. Coverage of the Web Documents
Are the links (if any) evaluated and do they complement the documents theme?
Is it all images or a balance of text and images?
Is the information presented cited correctly?
Who is the intended audience of the resource? |
If page requires special software to view the information, how much are you missing if you don’t have the software?
Is it free, or is there a fee, to obtain the information?
Is there an option for text only, or frames, or a suggested browser for better viewing? |
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Putting it all together
Accuracy. If your page provides accurate information with few grammatical and spelling errors, and . . .
Authority. If your page lists the author credentials, a way of contacting him/her and its domain is preferred (.edu, .gov, etc), and…
Objectivity. If your page provides unbiased information with limited advertising and it is objective in presenting the information, and .
Currency. If your page is current and updated regularly (as stated on the page) and the links (if any) are also up-to-date, and . . .
Coverage. If you can view the information properly—not limited to fees, browser technology, or software requirement, then . . .
You may have a quality website that could be of value to your research! |
see also: