History: Searching the Web

AUTHORSHIP 

• Who authored the website? Are they an authority on the subject? If the author is an organization, what do you know about its purpose?

ACCURACY

• Verify the accuracy of the information from non-web sources before using in your research. Is the site edited well? Are there basic spelling or grammatical errors? Is it written for a specific audience? Does the information fit in with other sources you have found on the topic? Does the author use footnotes, citation, sources to verify its information?

CURRENCY

• Is the website updated and maintained?
• How current is the information?
• Understand that "Last updated" could include simple stylistic changes, colors, or layout. Not necessarily content changes.

CONTENT - Does the information meet your research needs?

• Is the information basic or advanced?
• Is coverage of the topic complete or does it leave out important information?
• Does it offer different perspectives?
• Is there a bibliography? Are the sources mentioned relevant and credible?
• How does the content compare to other resources on the topic?

PURPOSE

• Does the site present fact or opinion?
• Is the purpose of the site to inform? To sell? To persuade?
• Does the site show multiple sides of an issue? Bias does not necessarily mean you must reject a source, but be sure that you can identify it.
• Who is the intended audience? Advanced researchers? Young students? Members of an organization?
• Is there advertising?

The information presented here was adapted from Iowa State University's Evaluating Websites: Information Literacy Guide

The credibility of online information can be difficult to verify. We always recommend that you evaluate a website with the information provided in this guide, and not automatically rely on a website based on its domain name.

Common Domain types

.com      Most common domain, anyone can create a website using this

.gov      Generally used for government sites

.edu      Associated with an academic institution. Still use caution, sometimes student work can be represented on .edu sites

.org      Initially created for organizations and associations. Use caution, anyone can use to put out information

.net      Common domain name, anyone can use to put out information