Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are kindly advised that this website includes images, sounds and names of people who have passed.
All users should be aware that some topics or historical content may be culturally sensitive, offensive or distressing, and that some images may contain nudity or are of people not yet identified. Certain words, terms or descriptions may reflect the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written, but are now considered inappropriate in today's context.
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In the Library (or anywhere with a Library card for NSW residents) |
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Only in the Library |
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Publicly available |
Look for the author's name whether they are an individual, an organisation or a group. Be wary of anonymous information. Also does the author have relevant qualifications and experience?
Does the publisher have a track record in the field? Are they considered reputable suppliers of information?
The qualifications or experience of the author or the publisher need to be clearly stated. If not stated, are they a peak body, academic institution, or government or non-government organisation serving the public interest? Be careful even a doctor with good credentials may be self-promoting or promoting a service or specific discipline.
This is the method of selecting and reviewing material to be included on the site. Look for reasons for inclusion and exclusion of material. Check for credentials of groups or individuals conducting reviews.
Is the website selling anything? If the website has a commercial purpose then this may introduce an element of bias to the information. Is the website sponsored by a commercial concern or affiliated to a lobby group? Any potential conflict of interest needs to be acknowledged. The manner in which this is prevented from affecting content should be stated.
The source of sponsorship and the sponsor's role must be clearly stated. A sponsor should not affect content. If there is advertising there must be a clear distinction made between advertising and information.
Identifying the type of organisation or group who maintain the website will help determine the context of the information. This may help in identifying relevance, bias, accuracy, purpose or conflict of interest. The type of information may differ depending on whether the site is commercial, research, educational, support group or individual.
