Policy Brief: Accuracy and Validity of InformationExecutive Summary
Proposed
addendum
to
Policy AD47:
General Standards of Professional Ethics.As stated in the University Policy Manual, the purpose of
AD47
is:To set forth statements of general standards of professional ethics to serve as a reminder ofthe variety of obligations assumed by all members of the academic community
Statement I:
Their primary responsibility to their respective subjects is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end, they devote their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty.
Statement II:
As teachers, professors encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students. They hold before their students the best scholarly standards of their respective disciplines. They demonstrate respect for the student as an individual, and adhere to their proper role as intellectual guides and counselors. They make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct
Statement III:
As researchers/scholars, professors recognize that their goal is to discover, develop, and communicate new understanding.
Statement V:
As members of their institution, professors seek above all to be effective teachers and scholars.
Date of last revision:
Effective Date: May 10, 1996Date Approved:June 10, 1996
Even though the statements in
Policy AD47
ring true today, just as they did in 1996, ourenvironment has seen unprecedented growth in technology and in the use of the Internet.Because of the extent of these changes and the fact that all educators, rely on the use oftechnology and the Internet in teaching and in interacting with their students, revisions to this policyare needed in order to govern and guide the use of Internet resources to supplement teaching.As educators, we have a duty to ensure that information gathered and used from outside resourcesis valid and accurate. We also have the duty to educate our stakeholders on how to evaluateinformation from these sources.
Context and Importance of the Problem (Critique of existing policy)
There is an abundance of information available to Internet users today. The producers of thatinformation may not always adhere to professional standards or ethics, may not have the wholetruth, and at times, may be malicious in the dissemination of information.As a University community, a community that is responsibility for delivering valid and accurateinformation, we have an obligation to make sure that the information we share from the Internet isboth valid and accurate. We also have the responsibility to teach our stakeholders how to becomeself-sufficient in searching for information from outside resources.This proposal is for an addendum to
Policy AD47
and is presented to update a current andidentified need to our University.Our mission:
Mission
As a land-grant university, we provide unparalleled access and public service to support the citizens of the Commonwealth. We engage in collaborative activities with industrial,educational, and agricultural partners here and abroad to generate, disseminate, integrate,and apply knowledge that is valuable to society.
Policy Recommendation I
We currently have an outstanding policy on
General Standards of Professional Ethics
. Myrecommendation is to amend this policy include a new statement (Statement 7) to address currentissues facing our University system.
Statement VII:
As teachers/professors and purveyors of educational content to our stakeholders, we havean obligation to provide current, valid, accurate and credible information in the scope of ouremployment. To extend this, educators also have the responsibility to teach ourstakeholders the skills necessary for assessing web-based information to similar standardsin order to fulfill our
mission
.
Pro
This amendment will move the University into the 21
st
Century and recognize theimportance of the growth in, and use of technology and the Internet. The inclusionwill bring credibility to the need for focus by practitioners and educators.
With the use of technology and the Internet, the process of advising employees of thepolicy change can be quick if not immediate.
Con
Even though this information can be disseminated quickly, it doesn’t guarantee that
the information will be read by the target audience.
Policy Recommendation II
Used in support of Policy Recommendation I, or as a minimum should it not be accepted, stepscan be taken to prepare the educator to meet this new standard of behavior. Professionaldevelopment programs can be developed and offered to address very specific needs including: (for
the individual’s needs and to teach their sta
keholders)
Utilize search techniques that can lead to web sites where information fits the criteria below
To assess sites and information from the web to ensure that the information is:1.
Relevant
: Source should provide content relevant to the project. For example, does itcontain the necessary information for the project?2.
Credible
: Source should detail the author and his or her credentials. Researcher should askquestions such as: What are the author's credentials? Is the author well-known or credible?Are
the author’s credentials credible? Does the author cite sources?
3.
Accurate
: The accuracy of the information provided should be vetted. Questions to askshould include: Is the information current? Is the information comprehensive or are parts leftout? Is the information fair and reasonable?4.
Point of View
: The point of view of the source should be assessed to determineappropriateness of usage. Questions to ask should include: Is the information presentedobjective or subjective? Are there opinions included? Are opinions supported? Does thesource supply support and research to claims? Is there a conflict of interest?5.
Source
: Source should be from a trusted source or publisher. Research may evaluateresource by domain such as is it a .gov, .edu. If it is a .com is the publisher trusted? Is theinformation current? When was it last updated?6.
Recognition and Suppor
t: Researcher may look to see if the resource is supported andcited in other research. Questions to ask should include: Is the resources linked elsewhere?Is the source referenced in trusted and credible site from credible organizations? Are therenegative comments regarding the source? Do other sources corroborate the information?To advance the fulfillment of this amended policy I recommend introducing the use of a web-evaluation tool such ashttp://21cif.com/tools/evaluate/ . An assessment of the tool can becompleted in xxx months and determined whether to continue using that tool, or develop one moresuited to our organizational needs.
Pro
This recognition and focus will enhance and support the existing policy on ethical behaviorby taking into account a resource and tool that is used by all employees.
This will increase the level of credibility and the professional reputation as employeesconduct the business of the University that supports our mission.
Con
There will be financial and time costs associated with the systematic instructional designprocess for developing a professional development program to teach and implement contenton search skills and the evaluation of Internet resources, as well as tools necessary forconducted the evaluations
Once implemented the enforcement of the policy must occur
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