Selection criteria for GLRPPR's sector resources collection. Also includes criteria for evaluating materials already in the collection.Ope

Barnes, Laura L.

Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship Repository

 1QA/QC Document for GLRPPR Topic Hubs and Sector Resources  To ensure that high-quality information is included in GLRPPR’s sector resources, it is important to establish criteria for selecting materials to include and for evaluating materials once they’ve been added to the collection.  Selecting Materials to Include in the Collection Materials considered for inclusion in the sector resources collections will be evaluated using the following criteria. Both print and online materials must meet these standards in order to be included in the collection.  Subject Matter and Audience  Materials will focus on pollution prevention. Although U.S. EPA defines pollution prevention as reduction of pollution at the source, it can also include other practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants through increased efficiency in the use of raw material, water, energy, or other resources. It can also include the protection of natural resources by conservation. Some examples include:   Regulatory information  Energy efficiency  Recycling/Reuse  The audience for materials included in the collection should be reasonably broad. Information targeted at a specific individual or local group should be excluded unless the information is applicable to a larger group than the intended audience.  Sectors that are currently covered are listed at http://www.glrppr.org/topichubs/.   Information Sources and Formats   Information from academic, government, commercial, trade and industry, non-profit, and private sources are all acceptable provided they meet the subject matter and quality criteria.    Both online and hard copy resources are acceptable for inclusion. Although online sources are generally more convenient, they do not always provide the in-depth information included in print references.   Because print sources can sometimes be more difficult to obtain, catalog records for these items will include contact information for the publisher or producer so users can obtain hard copies. Each record will also encourage users to request the item through their local library’s interlibrary loan service if they don’t wish to purchase the item. The following points should also be considered:   If the print source is not copyrighted or permission can be obtained from the publisher or producer, it is preferable to convert it to an online document to include it in the collection.   2 If the source duplicates existing web-based information both in content and quality, then exclude the print resource from the collection.   If the material is out of print and no longer available from the publisher or producer, it should be available for users to borrow using interlibrary loan.  If it is not available through interlibrary loan, it should not be cited in the collection.   Web sites consisting solely of links will not be included unless there is value added by annotations, reviews, or other information.   Sources that consist solely or mainly of advertising will be excluded from the collection.   Acceptable sources may be in many different formats. These include but are not limited to:  Articles, conference papers, or reports Audio or video recordings  Bibliographies/significant web guides  Books Case studies or success stories  Fact sheets or checklists Manuals Handbooks Currricula  Lists Periodicals Calendars  Software or electronic tools Web sites  Book chapters Proceedings  Information Quality  Materials should have sufficient information to create a bibliographic record. The minimum acceptable amount of information is a document title, URL, and publisher or organization responsible for creating the document.  In order for a source to be included, it must meet the following criteria:   The information must be valid. Validity can be established if the source is available in multiple formats (book, CD-ROM, and web), it appears well researched and referenced, and any bias is made clear and is at an acceptable level.   The information must be accurate. Sources should be free of typographical errors and spelling and grammatical mistakes. Resources are generally accurate if an editor, publisher, or other third party has checked the information, the information provider is motivated to be accurate, the information can be verified through other sources, and the source includes bibliographies or reference lists.  3  The information must be complete. If the source is under construction, there are lots of dead links or missing files, there appears to be information missing, or the full text of the source isn’t available, it should not be included in the collection.   The information must be reasonably comprehensive and cover the subject adequately. The source should not be included if the information does not go into sufficient depth for the format, the information doesn’t adequately cover the stated subject, or there are obvious gaps in information.   Because anyone can publish anything on the web, information must come from authoritative sources. The information must come from a reputable author or publisher. Some things to look for include details about the author or publisher, details about the origin of the data or information, contact information, and e-mail addresses that support the claim of authorship.   The information should be current. If the source is a web site, the site should be updated regularly. Check to make sure that links on the site work. Also look for “Last Updated” dates or a statement about the frequency of updates. If this information doesn’t appear on the site, e-mail the maintainer of the page and ask when it was last updated. If the site hasn’t been recently updated and is not designated as an archive, it should be excluded.    The site should be usable and easy to navigate. The content should be well organized and the site should have navigation tools like a table of contents or a navigation bar. If the pages take a long time to load because of the heavy use of graphics, Java applets, or other advanced features, it should be noted in the catalog record. If it is difficult to locate information on the site, it should be excluded from the collection unless it contains information that is not available elsewhere. In this case, include in the catalog record instructions for locating the unique information.  Access  Resources using advanced WWW technology (Java applications, frames, streaming audio/video, etc.) should be included if they meet quality and subject criteria. However, the catalog record should include a warning that the source is dependent on having the suitable technology.  If a resource requires registration for access, appropriate information must be included in the catalog record.   Commercial and fee-based sources may be included with appropriate information about cost provided in the catalog record. This applies to both print and online sources.  Copyrighted items may be included, assuming they meet subject and quality guidelines. However, unless GLRPPR has received clearance from the copyright holder or the item is available on the web, the catalog record will only include bibliographic and ordering information. GLRPPR will not scan and post copyrighted articles without clearance from the copyright holder.  4Evaluating Materials Already in the Collection Although materials included in the sector resource collections have to meet the above criteria to be selected, they also need to be evaluated periodically to ensure that they are still accurate and timely.   Each sector resource section will include a review feature to allow users to evaluate materials included on the site. If a particular resource has a significant number of negative reviews, the reference will be removed from the collection.   Links to online sources will be checked monthly. Broken links will be researched to see if the document has moved or disappeared.    If the document has moved, the link will be updated.   If the document can’t be located, the reference will be removed unless a print copy can be located.   If a print copy is located, the document will be scanned and posted on the GLRPPR site if it is not copyrighted or if clearance can be obtained. If the document is copyrighted and clearance can’t be obtained, the catalog record will be changed to indicate that the reference is only available in print.    If a print copy can’t be obtained, the material will be removed from the collection. 

QA/QC Document for GLRPPR Topic Hubs and Sector Resources

IDEALS @ Illinois

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/2142/103287/2/QAQCPlan.pdf

QA/QC Document for GLRPPR Topic Hubs and Sector Resources

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Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship Repository

IDEALS @ Illinois