Beach Health Indicators
Website
As the use of computers and the Internet expands, websites are increasingly
becoming an excellent tool for the publication of and access to information.
The Internet provides an enormous wealth of data and can also be a great
educational resource for the general public. As long as one has access to
a computer and the Internet, the public can "surf" the websites for information
on beaches. Many state coastal management agencies are utilizing the Internet
to provide important information on the health of our nation's beaches as
well as coastal zone management goals, policies, and programs.
To evaluate the quality of state coastal management websites, the report uses the following three criteria:
Ease of Use
Difficult navigational design can render a website ineffective. This can
act as a deterrent for people looking to obtain information on the Internet
because it is just too difficult to find the information. In order to provide
effective information access, the website should present information in a
clear, simple format and in a way that is easy to navigate. We evaluated
each website on the ease of use and the ability to find important information.
Content
The content criterion examines the amount of relevant information on the
beach health indicators that can be found on the website. Surfrider believes
that coastal management programs should provide information on the beach
health indicators on their website, or should provide links to other websites
with the information.
Current Information
In order to provide current and relevant information, websites should be
updated when there is new information or changes in information. Any changes
or new information should be promptly posted on the website.
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