Format: Webinar, original date March 17, 2021
Hosted by: WebJunction
Length: 1.5 hours
In the deluge of online information, it's difficult for your users to identify the different information formats associated with the resources they find. A single resource has numerous elements of format, some related to where and how it was published, as well as how it conveys information. For example, an article may appear in a newspaper or a magazine or a journal, and in addition to text, it may contain images, data visualizations, or even video. These format elements can affect how a user judges information resources. They can tell users about how and why the information was created, how they should use it, and how trustworthy it might be. Yet, there is not a good vocabulary for describing or discussing the impact elements of format can have on information evaluation. Instead users are left with a "know-it-when-they-see-it" understanding of format types. A recent research project has attempted to address this issue by developing the concept of "containers" and locating it within a descriptive taxonomy of other format elements, and examining how students (4th grade – graduate school) choose resources for assignments. Presenters discuss findings from the research study, including the role of format in the evaluation of web search results and how they are incorporating the findings into their own concepts and practice.
Presented by: Brittany Brannon, Tara Tobin Cataldo, Robin Kear, and Ixchel Faniel
