Structural evaluation of webliographies: a webliometric study

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the structure of existing webliographies as human-edited directories and review the literature on webliographies. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Using Google, 370 webliographies were identified and evaluated against seven essential elements of an ideal webliography including: annotated title, description, contents, annotated body, index, search mechanism, and contact us. Findings ‐ The research showed that a considerable number of webliographies lack five essential structural elements including annotated title, description, contents, search mechanism and index. Only two elements, i.e. annotated body and contact us, were present in the majority of webliographies. Research limitations/implications ‐ Problems hindering access to web pages, including technical problems and difficulties caused by government internet filtering policy, were among limitations of the research. Originality/value ‐ The results can help webliography designers avoid common mistakes in webliography development and help webliography users make better use of these sources.