Emphasis
This differs from bias in that it is the omission of information rather than deliberate over-emphasis of one point of view. For example, US sites may devote little space to British developments. Another pertinent example is that sites for UK government departments may include information only for England on devolved issues.
You should be aware that emphasis can be more difficult to detect than bias. A solution is to apply the technique of cross checking with other sites on the same topic.
Health topics are an excellent example of where emphasis can creep in because of the differing approaches to medicine in different countries.
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Insert the search term "chronic fatigue syndrome" into a search engine. Note how the majority of sites which appear are from the United States. Examine the sort of information on these sites. How useful would it be to an enquirer from the UK? Now repeat the search using "chronic fatigue syndrome" uk. Examine the sites listed. We are sure that you will find them more useful sources of information for a client in your library. |
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