Evaluating Websites

The more questions you can answer, the more reliable the web site.

Author/Host

Who is the author of the information? Who is the host or sponsor of the web site?

• What information do they provide about themselves?
• Can you contact them?
  • Is there an email address?
  • Do they list a street address?
• If you can't tell who is behind it, DON'T USE IT!

Purpose

Why was the site created? Does it have a specific purpose?

• Does it state a purpose or mission?
• What is it?
  • To sell?
  • To inform?
  • To persuade?
  • Other? (Look for an “About Us” link.)
• What type of site is it?
  • .com = commercial
  • .gov = government
  • .edu = educational
  • .net = network
  • .org = nonprofit organization
  • ~ (tilde) = personal web page

Point of View

What is the point of view?

• Is there any bias or slant? Or, is it neutral?
• Are there links to other viewpoints? Or, does it present both sides of the issue?

Credibility

How credible is the source?

• Does the author or organization have expertise on the topic? What education, degrees, or work experience does the author have?
• Who is the intended audience? College students? Consumers? Children?
• Is it scholarly—that is, written by a researcher or expert for a college or academic audience?
• Are the sources credited with a bibliography, works cited list, or references?
• Are there any obvious errors or misinformation? Is it a collaborative site such as Wikipedia to which anyone can post or edit information

Currency

When was it last updated?

• Is the information current?
• When was it last revised?
• What is the copyright date?
• Are there many broken links?

More Information

Where can I find more information?

• What can you find out about the author or site using other Internet sources or library reference materials?
  • Contemporary Authors
  • Gale Biography Resource Center
  • Encyclopedia of Associations
  • Magazines for Libraries