Forced Migration Online

WEB CATALOGUE: SELECTION POLICY

The purpose of this document is to set out the standards and criteria used to select resources for inclusion in the Forced Migration Online Web Catalogue. The catalogue is not an exhaustive inventory of anything and everything relating to forced migration. Rather, the objective of the catalogue is to create a coherent collection of high quality Internet resources that will help users to undertake research in a more efficient and effective manner. The notion of "a quality resource" is understood here to mean "one that meets the information needs of the user." (This is a service-oriented definition recommended by the Resource Discovery Network; see "Guidelines for Selecting and Evaluating Internet Resources," http://www.desire.org/handbook/2-1.html.)

This definition allows for variability in how quality Internet resources are assessed from one individual to another. Because quality ultimately is linked to information need, a resource considered weak by one researcher may be considered strong by another. This reality underlies the selection methodology of the Web Catalogue.

A number of specific criteria can be used to facilitate the selection process. These are grouped below under general considerations, content, form and process. However, it is important to note that resources do not need to conform to all criteria listed below in order to be included in the catalogue. Rather, the criteria exist to assist selectors in making decisions about the relevance and appropriateness of resources.

This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure that new issues and resources of interest to the forced migration community are incorporated into the catalogue.

The principles represented in this policy are based on many of the recommendations of the Resource Discovery Network (RDN). Please refer to the references section for more information.

1.    General Considerations

1.1 Scope

Resources first must be determined to fall within the scope of the catalogue collection - i.e., what is the nature of the subject area represented. The scope is set out in greater detail in the FMO Overview document.

1.2 Resource Types

This section clarifies what constitutes an Internet resource.

• All resources described in the catalogue are available on the Internet.

• In general, the catalogue does not equate a resource to an entire organizational web site; rather, the objective of the catalogue is to identify specific information resources wherever they are located within web sites rather than direct users to top level homepages.

• Annex 1 defines the various resource types reflected in the catalogue. A resource may be assigned more than one resource type.

• Certain resource types are excluded because they are time-specific (e.g., individual event announcements) or are likely to change often and require frequent updating (e.g., organizational web sites in their entirety).

• Certain resource types are included even though their scope is much broader than the working definition indicated above. This is because they may include forced migration within their coverage, and in doing so, serve as valuable research tools for FMO users. Examples of resource types with a broad disciplinary focus that may be relevant to the catalogue include: bibliographic databases/library catalogues (African Women's Bibliographic Database), news (FT Global Archive), search engines (ELAND: An Integrated System to Access the Development Information of European Institutions), and subject gateways (SOSIG: Social Science Information Gateway).

1.3 Sources

This section reviews the sources of information considered to be acceptable for inclusion in the catalogue.

• The catalogue includes resources from academia, governments, IGOs, the media, and NGOs. Pages maintained by individuals are included if they demonstrate that they are regularly maintained and of a durable nature.

• Resources that consist predominantly of advertising are not included in the catalogue.

• Forced migration issues are often contentious. The goal of the catalogue is not to take sides in any debate, but rather to facilitate access to information in a neutral and objective manner. Therefore, the catalogue may include resources which reflect the individual opinions of an author, the mandate of an activist organization, or the restrictive policies of a national government. While these perspectives may prove distasteful to individual users, they do not necessarily reflect the views of the FMO development team, the Refugee Studies Centre, or the University of Oxford.

1.4 Access

This section outlines the policy towards factors that may hinder certain users from accessing resources described in the catalogue.

1.4.1 Technology

Resources using advanced technology such as java or frames or that require the installation of plug-ins like Real Player or Adobe Acrobat are included in the catalogue, even though they may not be accessible to all users due to technical constraints. However, the catalogue record informs users about any requirements needed to view a particular resource.

1.4.2 Fee-based Resources

The emphasis of the catalogue is on resources that are freely available on the Internet; however, certain resources are described even though they require a fee for complete access. This is because they offer some free information that is still valuable to users. For example, access to full-text scholarly journals is usually limited to subscribers. At the same time, most post tables of contents or abstracts online and many offer e-mail alerts to inform users when a new issue is available.

Resources that are available for a fee and that offer no value-added information for free are not included in the catalogue.

1.4.3 Registration

Resources that require user registration before access is granted are included in the catalogue. Users are forewarned accordingly by information provided in the catalogue record.

1.5 Resource Description

1.5.1 Granularity

As noted in the resource type Annex, the catalogue includes resources described at the individual title level. It is important to note, however, that these titles are only catalogued on an individual basis because they form a part of a larger collection that, in its totality, does not meet the scope criteria of the catalogue. Titles within relevant collections are not catalogued individually.

1.5.2 Minimum Requirements

Resources must include the following minimum amount of information to be selected for the catalogue: title, URL, and person/organization responsible for the resource.

2.    Content Criteria

A famous cartoon from the New Yorker magazine depicts a dog sitting at a computer. The caption reads: "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog."

The anonymity of the Internet also means that anyone can publish anything online. Because personal opinion often predominates over fact on the Internet, it is important to establish that the content of a resource is genuine, authoritative, substantive, comprehensive, unique, well-composed and well-organized.

2.1 Genuineness

Clues for determining that the content of a resource is what it appears to be:

• availability of a scope statement or stated purpose
• an indication of the producer of the information, with contact details
• identifiable information sources provided (e.g., bibliographic citations, statement of responsibility, etc.)
• nature of the material (e.g., primary vs. secondary information?)
• location of the resource – usually, it will be made available on the producer's web site; if not, an explanation or rationale normally should be provided.

2.2 Authority

Clues for establishing a resource's authority:

• statement of responsibility, biography clearly indicated (e.g., see "About" sections on many web sites)
• location of the resource (e.g., is it on the site of a known, reputable publisher or information provider?)
• contact details provided (e.g., address, phone, e-mail)

2.3 Substantiveness

Clues for determining the substantiveness of a resource:

• extent of the resource (e.g., contents vs. full-text, description of a resource vs. the actual provision of the resource)
• provision of value-added information (e.g., is a site purely descriptive or does it offer something more?)

2.4 Comprehensiveness

Clues for establishing the coverage of a resource:

• statement detailing the contents of the resource (e.g., what are the parameters of this resource?)
• level of detail provided (e.g., does a list of links include annotations or just URLs?)
• extent of coverage (e.g., does an online publication include photos, tables, annexes, or just the text?)
• gaps in coverage (e.g., does a resource include "empty" categories that when linked to provide nothing underneath?)

2.5 Uniqueness

Clues for establishing how unique a resource is:

• overlap with other resources
• based on original research?
• statement of purpose indicating its response to a perceived need

2.6 Composition and Organization

Clues for assessing composition:

• tone of the content (e.g., are superlatives, angry verbiage used?)
• evidence of grammatical/spelling errors – not only in the actual text of a resource, but also in navigational links, instructions for use, help info., etc.
• evidence of jargon/slang

Clues for assessing organization:

• well-structured
• logical and consistent arrangement
• content broken down into logical and digestible parts
• clear headings
• use of standards

3.     Form Criteria

The form in which a resource is packaged may prevent users from successfully accessing its content. Therefore, it is important to consider navigational issues, user support, technology requirements, and design features when examining resources for the catalogue.

3.1 Navigation

Clues for determining how easy it is to move around a resource:

• clearly labeled links
• consistently available navigational links (e.g., to home page, to other sections of the resource)
• absence of "orphan pages" (i.e., a page with no links and no indication of what site it belongs to)
• substantive content available within at least three clicks
• alternative routes for accessing the same thing
• printable versions of documents
• clear evidence that a link leads out of a resource or web site
• clear evidence that a link opens up a new browser window

Clues for assessing browsability and searchability:

• availability of an index or site map
• availability of an effective search engine with a clear indication of search features supported (e.g., boolean, truncation, proximity, etc.)

3.2 User Support

Clues for identifying the level of user support provided:

• availability of online help, training materials
• descriptions of sections within a resource/web site
• instructions for accessing or using portions of a resource/web sites (e.g., if a document is only available in PDF format, is there information on how to download the application necessary to read it?)
• contact e-mail for additional support

3.3 Technology Requirements

Clues for identifying whether or not a resource accommodates different types of users:

• overuse of graphics/graphics load with text rather than after
• slow downloading times (e.g., PDF documents housed in one long file rather than broken up into chapters)
• indication that a resource is optimized for a certain browser type
• availability of a text version of a site
• frames-based sites
• overuse of javascripting
• availability of alternative document formats for downloading (e.g., HTML, PDF, DOC, etc.)
• plug-in requirement with absence of link to download it

3.4 Design Features

Clues for determining whether a resource has adhered to good design principles:

• user-friendly look and feel
• well-organized, absence of clutter
• good balance of text, images, headers, links, font sizes and white space

4.    Process Criteria

The integrity of Internet resources constitutes a major factor in one's ability to access them – i.e., their stability and their maintenance over time. Therefore, examining the processes that are put into place to support the integrity of resources can also assist in the selection exercise.

4.1 Information Integrity

Clues for considering the integrity of the content provided:

• currency (often dates are provided to indicate when a resource was created and the last time it was modified)
• maintenance (e.g., is the resource regularly updated, is there evidence that it can be maintained adequately over time?)

4.2 Site Integrity

Clues for considering the integrity of the web site housing the resource:

• dead links/links to sites that have moved
• redirections to new URLs
• indication of date of last update
• indication of ongoing maintenance

4.3 System Integrity

Clues for considering the integrity of the systems that support the web site:

• uninterrupted access to the resource
• stable server connections
• infrequent downtimes
• mirrors of the site

References:

DESIRE Information Gateways Handbook - http://www.desire.org/handbook (a "guide to creating high quality portals on the Internet")

Internet Detective - http://www.sosig.ac.uk/desire/internet-detective.html (an "interactive tutorial on evaluating the quality of Internet resources"; available in English, French and Dutch)

Resource Discovery Network (RDN) - http://www.rdn.ac.uk ("a free Internet service dedicated to providing effective access to high quality Internet resources for the learning, teaching and research community")

Social Science Information Gateway (SOSIG) - http://www.sosig.ac.uk (provides access to quality Internet resources in the social sciences)

Annex 1